Tsukemen (Dipping Ramen Noodles)

Before You Start...

1. Prepare the ramen toppings ahead of time (at least a day in advance for the Ramen Eggs) so they‘re ready to serve with your piping hot dipping soup broth. 

To Prepare the Soup Broth Ingredients

1. Gather all the ingredients for the dipping soup broth. Place the thinly sliced pork belly in the freezer for 10 minutes so it‘s easier to slice. In the meantime, prepare a big pot of water for cooking the ramen noodles. Slowly bring it to a boil on medium-low heat while you prepare all the ingredients. (If the water boils before you‘re ready to cook the noodles, the cover the pot and turn off the heat.)
2. Grate the ginger (I use a ceramic grater) and collect ½ tsp ginger (grated, with juice). Mince or press 2 cloves garlic (I use a garlic press).
3. Trim off and discard the root end of 1.8 oz shimeji mushrooms and separate the mushrooms into small clusters. Next, remove the stem from 1–2 shiitake mushrooms and cut the cap into thin slices.
4. Cut and separate the green and white parts of 2 green onions/scallions. Thinly slice each part and set them aside separately.
5. Take out ½ lb sliced pork belly from the freezer and cut it into 1-inch (2.5-cm) pieces.

To Cook the Dipping Soup Broth

1. In a medium pot, heat 1 Tbsp toasted sesame oil over medium heat and add the minced ginger and garlic. With a wooden spatula, stir-fry until fragrant.
2. Add the white part of the green onions and the pork belly.
3. Add ⅛ tsp freshly ground black pepper and cook, stirring frequently, until the pork is no longer pink.
4. Add 1 Tbsp doubanjiang (spicy chili bean paste) and stir constantly so it doesn’t burn.
5. Add the shimeji and shiitake mushrooms and stir to combine with the seasonings.
6. Add 1 tsp soy sauce, 1 tsp miso, and ⅓ cup mentsuyu (concentrated noodle soup base).
7. Add 1 cup water and bring it to a boil.
8. Once boiling, reduce the heat to medium low. Skim off the foam and scum using a fine-mesh skimmer. Cook, covered, on simmer or low heat for 3 minutes. Then, add 1½ Tbsp rice vinegar (unseasoned). Tip: I dip my skimmer in a measuring cup filled with water to clean the fine mesh.
9. Taste the dipping soup broth. If needed, add ⅛ tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt to taste. Turn off the heat or keep it on very low heat. Cover the saucepan with the lid while you prepare the noodles.

To Cook the Noodles and Serve

1. Gather the rest of the ingredients for the ramen noodles and the prepared toppings.
2. Before cooking 2 servings fresh ramen noodles, loosen them up with your hands.
3. Turn the heat back on for the big pot of water and bring it to a boil again. Once boiling, add the noodles and cook according to the package instructions. While cooking, stir and separate the noodles with chopsticks. Here, I cook the noodles inside a big noodle strainer (I got it in Japan) that I’ve set inside the pot. Tip: I usually cook my ramen noodles so they are firm and toothsome, to my liking.
4. Transfer the cooked noodles to a colander and rinse them thoroughly with your hands under cold running water. This stops the cooking, cools the noodles, and removes the excess starch. Shake the colander a few times to drain the water thoroughly (otherwise, the excess water will dilute the soup broth). Transfer the cold noodles to individual bowls or plates. Place the toppings on top of the noodles or on a separate plate.
5. Now, it‘s time to reheat the dipping soup broth until it‘s piping hot. Once reheated, divide the soup broth along with the mushrooms and pork into individual small bowls. Add the green parts of the green onions to each bowl and sprinkle ⅓ oz katsuobushi (dried bonito flakes) into the dipping broth right before serving.
6. Serve the noodles, dipping soup broth, and toppings—6 cooked shrimp, 4 slices narutomaki (fish cakes), 2 Ramen Egg (Ajitsuke Tamago), and 1 sheet nori (dried laver seaweed). Enjoy!

To Store

1. You can keep the dipping broth in the refrigerator for 3 days. Cook the noodles right before serving.