kimchi chashu ramen

1 pack ramen
chashu (japanese style simmered pork) (recipe below)
kimchi (recipe below)
hard boiled egg (recipe below)
green onion

chashu (japanese simmered pork):
1 1/2 pounds pork belly
1 quart cold water
4 tbsp. sugar
3/4 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup sake
1/2 cup mirin
2 tbsp. miso
1 tsp. bean paste
thumb size piece of ginger (finely chopped)
3 cloves garlic (finely chopped)
15 peppercorns

in a large bowl add in the cold water, sugar, soy sauce, sake, mirin, miso, bean paste, ginger, garlic, and peppercorns and whisk everything together.

place the pork belly into a medium size dutch oven and pour the cold mixture over the pork. turn the heat to medium high and bring to a boil. reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 4 hours until pork is tender. turn the heat off and let the pork set in the simmering mixture until cool. when cooled, remove from the liquid and wrap in plastic wrap, and place into the fridge. reserve the liquid for other purposes.

kimchi:
1 large napa cabbage (2 pounds)
2 tbsp. kosher salt

1/4 cup white rice vinegar
1/4 cup dashi broth (see broth in soba recipe)
3 tbsp. hot korean chili paste (gochujang)
2 tbsp. course korean chili powder
1 tbsp. sweet japanese chili paste
1 1/2 tbsp. fuji apple (grated)
1 tbsp. garlic (grated)
2/3 tbsp. ginger (grated)
1 tsp. fish sauce
2 carrots julienned
2 1/2" daikon slice julienned
4 scallions cut into about 2" slices keeping the green part

first you want to start the pickling process of the cabbage. cut the cabbage lengthwise in have, and remove the core. slice the cabbage into about 2" slices. rinse of the cabbage, and place on a paper towel to dry completely. place dry cabbage into a large bowl, and mix with the 2 tbsp. of salt. you'll need to apply pressure to the cabbage to start the pickling. i used a large tupperware container and placed the cabbage in. on top of the cabbage i then placed a plate with another medium size tupperware filled with water to apply pressure. let set for 24 hours.

in a large bowl add in the white rice vinegar, dashi broth, both chili pastes, chili powder, apple, garlic, fish sauce and ginger and mix together to form a paste. place this in the fridge and chill for 24 hours. (same timing as the cabbage)

in a large bowl add in the carrots, daikons, and scallions and mix together. strain out the cabbage of all the liquid and add the cabbage into the bowl and mix all together. pour over the korean marinade and mix everything together and place into mason jars. let set for another 48 hours in room temperature, and then into the refrigerator for an additional 4 day to finish the process.

makes about 3 cups
pickling time: 7 days
*side note* if making this in the summer you can reduce the kimchi pickling time in half to 24 instead of 48 hours, and 2 days in the fridge instead of 4 before serving.

boiled egg:
eggs
cold water
1-2 tbsp. cider vinegar
1 tsp. salt

place the eggs into a pot so that they are in a single layer. add enough water to the pot to cover the eggs and come about 1 inch over. add in the vinegar and salt, and bring to a boil. when the water starts to boil turn the heat off, cover, and let stand for 10 mins. then transfer to an ice bath to cool. the eggs should be easy to remove the shell.

place the boiled eggs into the reserved simmering liquid from the pork, and place in the fridge overnight.

ramen:
cook the noodles according to the packaging. place the noodles into a bowl with 1 cup of water and 2 tbsp. of the reserved simmering liquid. top with chashu, kimchi, boiled egg, and sliced scallions, and serve hot.

enjoy :)

justin