Spicy Pork Ramen with Homemade Ramen Broth

Learn how to make a steaming bowlful of Japanese-style Spicy Pork Ramen with Homemade Ramen Broth – using the Instant Pot, it is so much easier to make than you think! The perfect weekend project, I’ll teach you how to make a flavorful bowl of pork ramen topped with baby pak choi and soft boiled eggs in under 3 hours!

Want more easy noodle recipes? Try my Kung Pao Noodles, Thai Drunken Noodles, Sesame Peanut Noodles, Spicy Korean Beef Noodles, and my Mongolian Beef and Broccoli with Noodles!

Why This Recipe Works

Using the Instant Pot massively cuts down on cooking time: Homemade ramen broth takes hours to make, but I’ve quartered the cooking time by making use of the Instant Pot for a speedy yet authentic-tasting broth. But, if you don’t have one you can instead place the bones and the aromatics for this Spicy Pork Ramen in fresh water on the stovetop and boil until the broth is condensed and milky, adding more water as needed. This can take anything between 6-12 hours. 

You can easily customize the toppings: I’ve used soft boiled eggs, baby pak choi and roast pork here, but there are so many different ramen toppings you could choose instead from kimchi to grilled shrimp.

All of the elements can be made ahead: From the broth to the roast pork topping, you can make all the elements of this tonkotsu ramen ahead of time for a speedy meal later in the week – perfect for meal-prep!

Ingredients

• Pork bones: Use a piece of pork on the bone to make the roast pork so you have the bone, ask your butcher for some, order online or save bones from other dishes in the freezer to make the ramen broth. If you can’t get enough pork bones, you can make up the difference with chicken bones, either raw or leftover from a roast chicken.
• Brown onion: To flavor the broth.
• Garlic: To add another dimension to the broth.
• Fresh ginger: To add that signature warmth to the ramen.
• Boneless pork shoulder: To roast, slice and serve with your ramen bowl.
• Kosher salt: To taste.
• White miso paste: To season the ramen.
• Mirin or dry sherry: This will make your ramen taste authentic.
• Cooking sake or shaoxing rice wine: This will also help add to that authentic flavor! Find online or at the Asian grocery store.
• Cooked ramen noodles: Choose your favorite brand.
• Baby pak choi: This is my favorite ramen vegetable as it holds it’s shape and crunch really well.
• Boiled eggs: Peeled and halved.
• Salad onions: Thinly sliced.
• Red pepper flakes: Optional, if you would like to add some heat.
• Soy sauce: To taste, this will depend on how salty your roast pork and mirin are.

Here’s How To Make It

1. Boil the bones: Make the ramen broth, place the pork bones in a large pot and cover with cold water. Set over a high heat and bring to the boil. Boil for 10 minutes so all the impurities in the bones rise to the top of the pot.
2. Make the ramen broth: Rinse the bones under the cold faucet, and transfer them to an Instant Pot, along with the aromatics. Cover with enough cold water to submerge the bones, up to the maximum fill line. Secure the lid and set to pressure cook on high for 80 minutes. 
3. Reduce the broth: Allow the pressure to naturally release. Then, set the Instant Pot to sauté on high with the lid off, reducing the broth until you have approximately 6 cups, and the broth is rich and milky. 
4. Roast the pork: Preheat the oven to 390F and season the pork all over with salt. Place in a baking dish and roast for 1 hour, reducing the heat to 320F after 30 minutes. Set the meat aside to rest on a plate covered with foil that will collect the resting juices for 30 minutes. 
5. Make the ramen tare: Combine the miso, mirin and sake together in a small pan until you have a smooth paste. Set over a medium high heat and allow to come to the boil, stirring regularly, to cook off the alcohol in the mirin and sake. Remove from the heat and set aside. 
6. Slice the pork: Thinly slice the pork before adding the resting juices to the ramen broth. 
7. Assemble your ramen bowls: To serve, divide the ramen tare between 4 bowls, and add a ladle of the ramen broth to each. Whisk, so the paste combines with the broth, before adding dividing the noodles and pak choi between each bowl. Divide the rest of the broth between the bowls before adding the rest of the toppings and a few slices of the roast pork. Serve with soy sauce on the table for anyone who wants to adjust the seasoning.

Expert Tips

• Make the homemade ramen broth ahead. As you need pork bones for this Spicy Pork Ramen recipe (or some pork and chicken bones) it makes sense to make some when you have some to hand for quick dinners later. If can be frozen for up to 3 months.
• Order all the specialist ingredients online. Using mirin and sake in your ramen tare will make for an authentic tasting soup, but unless you live near an Asian grocery store chances are you’ll need to go to several different stores, but they’re really easy to find online!
• Use leftover roast meats: I’ve included instructions for roasting a piece of pork shoulder to top your ramen, but if you’ve had roast pork, beef or chicken (or even Thanksgiving turkey!) and you have leftovers use them instead – ramen is a great recipe for using up leftovers!

FAQs

More Recipes to Try

• Bang Bang Chicken Skewers – sweet, spicy, and seriously addictive.
• Thai Chicken Curry with Coconut Milk – easy and better than takeout!
• Sticky Sesame Chicken – sticky, sweet, and ready in just 30 minutes.
• Honey Walnut Shrimp – the ultimate sweet-and-saucy shrimp dinner.
• Chicken Pad Thai – big, bold flavor wrapped up in the perfect noodle bowl.