Ingredients
1½ tsp garlic, (from 1 garlic clove), minced
½ tsp ginger, (from 1 knob of ginger), minced
1 shallot, minced
1 tbsp white sesame seeds, toasted
1 tbsp sesame oil, roasted
¼ lb ground pork
1 tsp doubanjiang, (spicy chili bean sauce/broad bean paste)
3 tbsp miso
1 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp sake
4 cups chicken stock, or broth
1 tsp kosher salt
¼ tsp white pepper powder
12 oz ramen noodles, fresh
chashu
bean sprouts, blanched
ramen egg, (ajitsuke tamago)
corn, frozen or canned, drained
nori, (dried laver seaweed), cut a sheet into quarters
green onions, or scallion, chopped
scallions, white parts only, sliced into thin julienned strips
la-yu, (Japanese chili oil)
pickled red ginger, (beni shoga or kizami beni shoga)
white pepper powder
Preparation
Grind the sesame seeds, leaving some seeds unground for texture.
In a medium pot, heat the sesame oil over medium-low heat and add the minced garlic, ginger, and shallot. With a wooden spatula, stir fry until fragrant.
Add the meat and increase heat to medium. Cook the meat until no longer pink.
Add the doubanjiang and miso. Quickly blend well with the meat before they get burnt.
Add the ground sesame seeds and sugar and mix well. Add the sake and chicken stock and bring the mixture to a simmer.
Taste the soup and add salt (if necessary) and white pepper.
Cover with the lid and keep the ramen soup simmering while cooking the noodles.
Bring a large pot of unsalted water to a boil. When the water is boiling, ladle some hot water into the serving bowls to warm them up. Meanwhile, gently shake the fresh noodles with a hand to separate and loosen them up.
Cook the noodles according to the package instructions. Before the noodles are done cooking, empty the hot water from the warmed ramen bowls.
When the noodles are done, quickly pick them up with a mesh sieve and shake out the excess water. Serve the noodles into the warmed bowls.
Add the ramen soup and top with the chashu, bean sprouts, ramen egg, corn, nori, green onions, and white parts of the scallions.
Serve warm, and enjoy!
