You might find chashu pork on tonkotsu ramen and other ramen bowls. It’s the tender, flavorful pork belly that’s so easy to love. It’s easy to make at home and tastes great, so don’t think you can only enjoy it when you’re eating out.
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A big bowl of ramen can be just what you need on cold days to warm you up and fill you up. I’m not talking about a quick pack of instant noodles; those can be good too, but not as good. I’m talking about a better, more complete version.
Some small changes, like making your own broth, using good noodles, and adding new toppings, can make a huge difference. That doesn’t mean you have to eat out or get takeout, and it doesn’t have to be hard. You can make delicious homemade ramen at home, and this pork is a great addition to any bowl.
Chashu is a Japanese dish made by slowly braising pork in a small amount of soy sauce, sugar, mirin, sake, and sometimes some aromatics.
Just like the noodles it is served with, chashu originates from Chinese cuisine. The name and broad style of the dish is based on the Cantonese barbecue pork dish, char sui. But the dishes have their differences, too.
Ramen is a delicious and comforting noodle soup that originated in Japan. It features noodles served in a flavorful broth and is often topped with ingredients like pork, egg, vegetables, and more. Pork is a popular protein topping for ramen, prized for its rich, meaty flavor. When cooked properly, pork adds wonderful texture and savoriness to ramen.
In this article, we’ll explore how to cook pork perfectly every time to use in your homemade ramen bowls. Learning how to prepare pork properly ensures that your ramen pork comes out moist, tender, and full of flavor.
Choosing the Right Cut of Pork
The first step is selecting the right cut of pork for ramen. Many types of pork can work well but the most common and foolproof options include
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Pork belly: This cut comes from the underside of the pig and contains a marbled mix of fat and meat. Pork belly has robust flavor and becomes meltingly tender when braised.
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Pork shoulder: Also called pork butt, this affordable cut taken from the front leg/shoulder area has a good amount of fat marbling. Pork shoulder suits braising and pulls apart easily after cooking.
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Pork loin: A leaner cut that still has some fat marbling. Pork loin can be quickly pan seared or roasted. Sliced thin, it adds tender bite to ramen.
Thicker, fattier cuts like pork belly and shoulder work especially well since the fat keeps the pork moist during long cooking. Leaner pork loin provides a lighter texture. Choose the cut that best suits your preferences.
Prepping the Pork
Once you’ve selected your preferred cut of pork, trim off any excess fat or silver skin. Then cut the pork into pieces sized appropriately for the cooking method.
For quick cooking pork loin, slice into 1⁄4 to 1⁄2 inch thick medallions. For braised pork belly or shoulder, cut into 1-2 inch cubes. Keeping the pork pieces uniform in size will help them cook evenly.
Seasoning the Pork
Seasoning is key for flavorful ramen pork. Build layers of flavor by seasoning at two stages:
Before cooking: Rub or toss the raw pork pieces with salt, spices, herbs, etc. Good seasonings include:
- Salt and pepper
- Five spice powder
- Ginger, garlic, onion, lemongrass
- Soy sauce, fish sauce
- Chili powder or flakes
After cooking: After cooking, toss the pork with extra seasoning like:
- Sesame oil
- Scallions
- Toasted sesame seeds
- Chili or sesame oil
- Sweeteners like honey or brown sugar
Seasoning before and after cooking boosts the pork’s flavor. Adjust seasonings based on the broth’s flavor.
Choosing a Cooking Method
The cooking method depends on the cut of pork:
For quick cooking cuts like pork loin:
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Pan sear over high heat for 1-2 minutes per side to quickly cook while keeping moisture.
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Roast in a hot (425°F) oven for 15-20 minutes until browned outside and just pink inside.
For tougher cuts like pork belly and shoulder:
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Braise for 1-3 hours on the stovetop or in the oven until extremely tender.
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Slow cook in a slow cooker with liquid for 4-8 hours on low.
Braising and slow cooking are ideal for cuts with more connective tissue, breaking it down into gelatin for succulent, pull-apart meat.
Perfecting the Technique
Follow these tips when cooking your pork to perfection:
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Use a thermometer to check internal temp and avoid overcooking. Pull pork from heat at 145°F for tender, juicy meat.
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Let meat rest for 5-10 minutes before slicing to allow juices to redistribute.
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Keep braised/slow cooked pork moist by using a flavorful cooking liquid like broth, wine, soy sauce, etc. Turn pork halfway through cooking.
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Finish with high heat to char: For braised pork, broil or pan sear to caramelize exterior. For pork loin, sear before/after roasting.
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Skim fat from braising liquid after cooking pork. This pools on top and makes broth greasy.
Mastering these techniques ensures your ramen pork comes out super tender and bursting with flavor every time.
Serving Ramen Pork
Once your pork is cooked, here are some tasty ways to use it in your ramen:
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Slice pork loin or shoulder into thin strips or medallions.
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Shred or roughly chop up braised pork shoulder or belly.
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Top the raw noodles with pork right before serving, allowing the heat from the broth to gently warm the pork.
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For maximum flavor, char or caramelize the exterior of the cooked pork right before serving.
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Garnish bowls with sliced pork belly that crisps up into cracklings.
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Mix some minced pork into the soup broth to infuse it with meaty richness.
No matter which cut you use or cooking method, properly prepared pork takes your ramen to new levels of flavor. With this guide to expertly cooking pork for ramen, you’ll impress everyone with your homemade noodle bowls. Try out different cuts, seasoning blends, and serving styles to discover your perfect pork ramen combination.
Frequency of entities:
theflavorbender.com: 1
pork belly: 5
pork shoulder/butt: 3
pork loin: 3
Try these other tasty pork recipes:
Steps to make chashu pork (and why)
As you can probably tell from the above, the key to making chashu is time. This isnt a quick dish to make, but you need minimal effort, and only a few ingredients. Plus, you can make a lot of it ahead of time, so when you’re ready to eat, you don’t have to do much.
The trickiest bit is rolling and tying the pork belly, though you can potentially skip this. If you just have a small piece of pork, it can work without rolling.
However, rolling helps lock more moisture in the pork and it means slices are an even shape. Plus, its not actually that difficult. There’s no need for a big chunk—a small piece will work just fine for this recipe.
After that, you first sear the pork which serves a few purposes. It gives the pork more flavor, helps it keep its shape better, and gets rid of some of the extra fat before braising.
Then, you slowly braise the pork over a low heat. Cooking low and slow helps the pork to become wonderfully tender. This braising liquid is full of flavor and works its way into the meat as it cooks. It also keeps the meat juicy.
Make sure to flip the pork over while it’s cooking so that each side gets some time in the liquid. This helps it cook evenly.
After letting the pork cool, you rest it in the braising liquid overnight in the fridge. This is an important step that you might not do with other pork belly recipes. Putting the pork in a freezer bag helps all sides have contact with the liquid.
This step serves two purposes. The chilled pork is firmer and easier to cut, and it also gives the meat more time to soak up the flavor. Also, any extra fat that forms during cooking solidifies and floats to the top, making it easy to get rid of.
The pork can be kept in the fridge for a few days after the first braising before being sliced and used in ramen or other dishes. You can split it up and freeze some for later after putting it in the fridge for at least one night.
To freeze, you can cut slices first, or leave it as a chunk, ready to slice after defrosting. I like it better when it’s in one piece because I think it’s less likely to break up that way. Either way, you want to freeze it with some of the braising liquid. You can simply add some to a freezer bag with the pork, and squeeze out excess air.
To use, let the pork defrost in the fridge overnight. I suggest putting the freezer bag inside a container in case it leaks. Then slice or chop and use in your dish as usual.
Instead of boiling the pork, you usually fry slices of it and add some of the braising liquid to make it taste better. This also helps it to caramelize a little on the outside. Another way to cook the slices is to grill them or warm them up and caramelize them with a blowtorch. You can use slices like this to top a rice bowl too, for example.
You can also cut the pork into smaller pieces and stir-fry them with chunks of pork to make chashu chahan, which is Japanese fried rice. It’s so easy and tastes great!
Make Perfect CHASHU Pork for Ramen | Japanese Braised Pork Belly
FAQ
How to cook meat to put in ramen?
How long should I boil pork for ramen?
What type of pork is used in ramen?
How to cook salt pork for ramen?
How do you make pork Ramen?
A few shortcuts plus a few tricks makes for one great bowl of doable pork ramen! For cheater stock, combine beef stock, miso, butter, and soy sauce in a pot and warm over low heat. It should never boil, but a light simmer is okay. For pork loin (optional, but good), mix together all ingredients in a bowl and pour over pork loin.
Are ramen noodles gluten free?
Ramen noodles are not gluten free as their main ingredient is wheat flour. The wheat based ramen noodles or refined wheat flour ramen noodles are cut into noodle strips from a dough of wheat. Wheat and its products contain gluten which are not suitable to ingest by individuals who have gluten intolerance. Gluten free ramen are now a days introduced into the market.
How do you eat pork Ramen?
Slice pork thin into coins. Divide noodles between bowls and pour in warmed ramen stock. Top each bowl with some pork, an egg, veggies, and a drizzle of sesame oil and sesame seeds. You can also add soy sauce and chili oil if you want! Did you make this recipe?
How do you cook pork ramen noodles?
Turn the heat off and add in the prepared sauce, stirring to coat the pork. Leave the pan on the warm burner. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook the ramen for 3 minutes, or until tender. Drain and add the cooked noodles to the skillet. Toss the noodles with the pork and sauce to coat.