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–+ servings

Sapporo-Style Miso Ramen with Ground Pork

Prep Time2 minutes
Cook Time13 minutes
Total Time15 minutes
Author Yuto Omura
Servings 2 portions

Ingredients 
 

Broth

Seasoned Pork

Toppings & Noodles

Instructions 

  • Prepare a bowl of ice water and set it by the stove. Bring a pot of water to a rolling boil and sprinkle in a pinch of salt. Add 100 g bean sprouts and the thick stem part of 30 g Oriental spinach to the pot and boil for 30 seconds.
    boiling beansprouts and spinach in a pot of water on the stove
  • Submerge the leaves of the spinach and boil for another 30 seconds before transferring them to the ice water bath. Set aside for later.
    blanched beansprouts and spinach in an ice water bath in a steel mixing bowl on a white background
  • Add 1 tbsp ground sesame seeds, 1 tbsp smooth peanut butter, and 1 tsp Chinese-style chicken bouillon powder to a heatproof bowl or jug. Measure out 500 ml freshly boiled water and add a splash to the bowl.
    pouring hot water into a bowl with ground sesame seeds, peanut butter and chicken bouillon powder
  • Whisk until smooth, then gradually add the rest of the water while mixing and set it by the stove for later.
    Miso ramen soup base made with ground sesame seeds, peanut butter and chicken bouillon powder
  • Heat a large wok over medium and add 1 tsp butter and 1 tsp lard. Once melted, reduce the heat to medium low and add 4 cloves grated garlic, 1 tbsp grated ginger root and 2 tbsp Japanese leek (naganegi). Mix occasionally to prevent burning and fry until fragrant.
    frying grated ginger, grated garlic and finely diced Japanese leek in butter and lard in a wok on the stove top
  • Increase the heat to medium and add 150 g ground pork, fry until cooked through and slightly browning around the edges. Then add 1 tsp Japanese soy sauce (koikuchi shoyu), 1 tsp mirin, 1 tsp oyster sauce, ½ tsp sugar and ½ tsp chili bean sauce (toban djan). Stir fry until the pork is evenly coated and thoroughly browned.
    fried aromatics and browned pork mince in a wok with condiments to flavor
  • Pour the bowl of broth from earlier into the wok and mix well, scraping the edges of the pan as you go. Bring to a boil then turn off the heat. Place 1 ½ tbsp yellow miso paste (awase) in a miso strainer, dip it in the broth and whisk thoroughly to incorporate it into the broth.
    adding miso in miso strainer to soup base in wok
    • If you don't have a miso strainer, place the miso in a small heatproof bowl and add a splash of the broth. Whisk until loose and a smooth, paste-like consistency before pouring it into the wok.
  • Boil 2 portions ramen noodles for 30 seconds less than the time stated on the packaging.
    homemade egg ramen noodles boiling in a pot of water on the stove top
  • Drain the noodles thoroughly and rinse with hot water to remove excess starch. Shake thoroughly, then divide them between serving bowls and pour the broth over the top.
    cooked egg ramen noodles in a black bowl on a white background
  • Squeeze the spinach thoroughly and shake the beansprouts to remove any excess water. Arrange them on top of the noodles and spoon the seasoned pork mince in the center. Add your favorite toppings, I used canned sweet corn, finely chopped green onions, ramen eggs, roasted seaweed for sushi (nori) and a small pat of butter. Enjoy!
    miso ramen topped with spicy ground pork, ramen eggs, blanched spinach, sweetcorn, chopped green onion and nori in a black bowl on a white background

Notes

Use unsalted, unsweetened peanut butter: The broth rides on this jar, and salt or sugar hiding in it throws the seasoning off with no fix downstream.
Whisk the broth in a bowl first: Loosen the peanut butter, sesame, and bouillon with a splash of hot water into a smooth paste before the rest of the water goes in. This pre-mix is what keeps the broth silky.
Check your bouillon's strength: Every brand is concentrated differently. Mine builds soup at 1 tsp per 200 ml. Stronger brand, smaller spoonful.
Dissolve the miso off the heat and taste: Cut the flame, whisk the miso in through a strainer or ladle, and let the last spoonful earn its place. Miso brands swing hard in salt.
Pull the noodles 30 seconds early: A bowl of hot broth is a second stove and keeps cooking them. Drain hard, shake off the water, and serve right away.
Squeeze the blanched greens dry: Spinach and bean sprouts hold more water than they look, and every hidden drop thins the broth you just balanced. Squeeze firmly, shake hard, then top the bowl.