Pork Miso Ramen

Thank you to Maruchan for sponsoring the post for our Pork Miso Ramen. This spicy miso-flavored broth is packed with chewy ramen noodles, sweet, salty, and crispy pork, and tangy quick-pickled mushrooms. Oh, and don’t forget the jammy egg to finish it off.

Pork Miso Ramen

Let’s eat ramen that looks like it came from the trendiest of restaurants, tastes like it was cooked all day long, and makes you feel as if you just received the warmest, coziest hug on the planet. But let’s make it in 25 minutes, at home, and with just a little bit of help from the store.

With a spicy miso-based broth and quick-cooking Maruchan noodles, our semi-homemade Pork Miso Ramen is made for busy weeknights or slow chilly weekends. (If you’re looking for something a bit more involved, don’t miss our Butternut Squash Curry Ramen). Of course, the broth and noodles are delicious on their own, but we wanted to replicate those gorgeous bowls you find at cozy little ramen shops these days so here’s what you’ll find:

• crispy hoisin and mirin-stewed pork. (This would also be delicious nestled into lettuce wraps)
• woodsy shiitake mushrooms flavored with just a hint of rice vinegar
• a perfect jammy six-minute boiled egg
• plenty of green onion for freshness

Ramen

When it comes to store-bought goods, there are fewer things in life that bring me more joy than Maruchan Ramen Noodles. I think it’s safe to say every single one of us has experienced the deliciousness that is instant ramen noodles at least a few times. Me? A few hundred times. It’s delicious on its own, but more often than not, I find ways to dress it up. Add a little protein here or some veggies there to make it a well-rounded meal. 

Today we’re using one of their new flavors, Spicy Miso. Similar to their original instant ramen, the noodles come in the package and take a mere three minutes to cook. Unlike the original, the new Spicy Miso flavor packet is actually a liquid you add to the broth. 

The noodles are irresistibly chewy and I love the depth of spicy miso flavor you get in the broth – so delicious. 

If you’re looking for some out-of-the-box ways to prepare instant ramen, take a look at our Ramen Carbonara or Cacio e Pepe. 

Mushrooms

Our mushroom of choice is shiitake mushrooms. They’re typically paired with Asian dishes and have meatier, more woodsy texture and flavor than button or portobello mushrooms. The stems can be pretty tough, so you’ll need to toss them. I like to slice them pretty thin so they get nice and crisp during the cooking process. Here’s what you’ll need: 

• sesame oil – to cook the mushrooms in 
• salt – just a little bit to season 
• rice vinegar – to give the mushrooms a faux-pickled taste without having to go through the pickling process. 

Crispy Pork

Ground pork. We use a standard ground pork, but if you want to cut some calories and fat, you can use ground chicken or turkey.

Mirin. Mirin is a classic Asian ingredient. It’s a rice wine, similar to sake, but with less alcohol and more sugar. Here it adds a little bit of acid, sweetness, and helps to deglaze the pan and get a little crust bits of pork and flavor stuck to the bottom of the pan.

Hoisin. I love using hoisin when I want depth of flavor without a ton of ingredients. It’s a great balance of sweet, salty, and sour and is made of fermented soybeans, sugar, and spices.

Sambal oelek. This fiery chili paste is one of our favorite ways to add spice to various dishes, most recently in our spicy Dan Dan Noodles with Chicken.

Egg. Every perfect ramen bowl needs a five-minute drippy egg. We like to use half an egg per bowl, but you can easily add two. 

Green onion. We add a pop of color and freshness with a (literal) bunch of green onion or scallion. I like to add half to the broth while the noodles cook and the other half to use as the topping for the soup. 

Let’s make ramen

Boil the egg

Making a five-minute egg is as ridiculous and easy as 1-2-3. Literally. Bring a small pot of water to a rolling boil. Slowly lower the eggs in. Set the timer for six minutes. Run the eggs under cold water and peel.

If you want the egg more gel-like, cook for seven minutes. It’s also important to wait until the water comes to boil to drop the eggs in, otherwise your timing could be off.

Cook the mushrooms

I like to start with mushrooms because once you brown the pork, you’ll be left with brown bits at the bottom. I start by letting the mushrooms brown in a little bit of sesame oil.

Try to keep them in place until they start to brown, it takes about 3-4 minutes Toss and continue to cook until they become golden brown and slightly crisp. Add a little bit of salt and rice vinegar. Toss and then remove them from the pan and set aside.

Brown the pork

Pork has quite a bit of fat in it already, so we don’t need to brown it in any oil.  Similar to the mushrooms, we want the pork to brown and crisp up, so try not to move it too much after you get it in the pan. Once it does start to brown on the bottom, use a wooden spoon to break up the meat.

When all of the meat is crispy and brown, deglaze the pan with the mirin. Use the same wooden spoon to get every precious morsel of brown bits at the bottom of the pan. From there, add in the hoisin, sambal oelek, and rice vinegar. Transfer to the same plate you put the mushrooms on.

Now comes the easy part. Add a little bit of sesame oil to the pan. Add the garlic. Saute for a minute until it smells fragrant and then add the water, seasoning packet, and sambal oelek. Bring a boil and the reduce to a simmer. Add the noodles. Use chopsticks to break the noodles up. Simmer for 2-3 minutes until the noodles are soft.

Assemble

Evenly divide the noodles and broth between four bowls. Top with as much crispy pork, mushrooms, egg, and scallions your heart desires. If you need more heat, drizzle a little bit more samba oelek on top. 

Make ahead! 

Cook the mushrooms, pork and eggs at the beginning of the week to make a quick and easy lunch throughout the week. I like to take all my toppings that need to be warmed through and transfer then to an oven-safe plate or pan to heat in the oven for a few minutes while the soup comes together. 

Substitutions and Tips and Tricks for Recipe Success

• Swap out the pork for ground turkey or chicken. 
• If you can’t find shiitake mushrooms, you can use portobello ‘shrooms. 
• If you have any hoisin, you can use tamarin or soy sauce plus a little bit of brown sugar. 
• Any spicy condiment will work in place of samba oelek – sriracha, gochujang, etc. 
• Don’t overcook the noodles. Simmer for exactly three minutes and enjoy! 

More of our favorite Asian dishes

• This Hunan Chicken is quick, easy and full of tangy, spicy flavor. 
• These Beef Lettuce Wraps just may be the most delicious beef dish on the planet. 
• Another spicy favorite is our Kung Pao Shrimp.