Shortcut Tonkotsu Ramen
Serves 2 · Prep: 10 minutes · Cook: 10 minutes · Total: about 30 minutes, plus optional egg marinating
This version uses frozen ramen broth, noodles, and prepared chashu. You only need to cook the eggs and vegetables.
Ingredients
Ramen
- 1 package Sun Noodle frozen tonkotsu ramen, 2 servings
- 5 to 6 ounces prepared sliced Japanese chashu
- 2 large handfuls baby spinach
- 1½ cups mung bean sprouts
- 2 scallions, thinly sliced
- 1 full-size sheet roasted nori, cut in half
- ¼ cup sliced wood ear mushrooms, optional
Shortcut ramen eggs
- 2 large eggs
- 2 tablespoons less-sodium soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons water
- 1 tablespoon mirin
- 1 teaspoon sugar
Instructions
- 1
Boil the eggs
Bring a saucepan of water to a boil. Carefully lower in the eggs and cook for 7½ minutes for jammy yolks.
- 2
Cool and peel the eggs
Transfer immediately to ice water and cool for 10 minutes. Peel carefully.
- 3
Marinate the eggs
Combine the soy sauce, water, mirin, and sugar in a small zip-top bag or narrow container. Add the eggs and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, preferably overnight, turning them occasionally so they color evenly. Don't marinate for much longer than 12 hours if you want lightly seasoned eggs rather than dark, salty ones.
- 4
Cook the bean sprouts
Bring a saucepan of water to a boil. Cook the bean sprouts for 1½ to 2 minutes, then drain thoroughly.
- 5
Cook the spinach
Cook the spinach for 20 to 30 seconds. Drain, press out the excess water, and divide it into two loose bundles.
- 6
Prepare the wood ear mushrooms
For dried wood ear mushrooms, soak them until fully expanded, slice thinly, and boil for 2 to 3 minutes.
- 7
Sear the chashu
Thaw the chashu according to the package directions and pat it dry. Heat a dry nonstick or cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Sear the chashu for 30 to 45 seconds per side, just until hot and lightly browned — prepared chashu is already cooked and can dry out quickly, so don't cook it for several minutes.
- 8
Warm the bowls and broth
Fill two ramen bowls with hot water to warm them. Empty and dry the bowls immediately before assembling. Prepare the soup concentrate using the package directions — when the package gives a range of water amounts, use the lower amount for a richer, more opaque broth. Don't add soy sauce, salt, tare, or gelatin before tasting; the packaged soup concentrate is already seasoned.
- 9
Cook the noodles
Bring a separate large pot of water to a strong boil. Cook the frozen noodles according to the package directions, stirring immediately to separate them. Drain very thoroughly and don't rinse.
- 10
Assemble
Work quickly so the noodles remain springy. Divide the hot broth between the warmed bowls, then add a portion of noodles to each. Arrange two or three overlapping chashu slices along one side, then add a bundle of spinach and a small mound of bean sprouts near the center. Cut each egg in half and place two halves in each bowl, add the wood ear mushrooms if using, lean a piece of nori against the side of each bowl, and scatter the sliced scallions over the broth.
Recipe notes
Equipment & shortcuts
- Recommended products: Sun Noodle Tonkotsu Ramen, Pork Flavor for the kit; J-Basket Sliced Pork Chashu, Hanazen Sliced Chashu, or Taste of Japan Pre-Sliced Japanese Chashu for the pork; Takaokaya Tokusen Roasted Nori or another full-size unseasoned sushi nori; Kikkoman Less Sodium Soy Sauce; and Mizkan Mirin or Mizkan Honteri Mirin-Style Seasoning.
- Look for Japanese-style pork belly chashu, not red Cantonese char siu.
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