Country of origin: Disputed, Japan or China

A fare that got its start as the cheap and filling working man's meal, in recent years ramen has risen to incredible popularity and become an iconic dish of Asian culture. New Yorker's have elevated ramen from the 30 cent college staple to a foodie sensation. The history of ramen's origin is rather messy—not unlike the front of my shirt after enjoying a bowl of the stuff.

In short, soba noodles are Japanese but what we now refer to as ramen was, for a long time, referred to as “shina soba," or "Chinese noodle." Assistant history professor at New York University and author of The Untold History of Ramen: How Political Crisis in Japan Spawned a Global Food Craze, George Solt, states that ramen is a "distinctly Chinese soup."

You can use soba noodles to make ramen at home, as I did, considering they're typically much easier to find in your grocery stores than well made ramen noodles. Ramen noodles are characterized by their use of kansui—the mixture of baking soda and water that gives ramen noodles their springy texture and yellow color. There's a variety of ramen noodles—thick, thin, slightly curvy, very wavy—each selected to best compliment the other ingredients and ramen meat broth. The history and varieties of ramen are actually quite fascinating, and well worth another stand alone post, or in the case of Solt, an entire novel. But, let's get to my attempt at Brooklyn kitchen crafted ramen...

Servings: 2

Ingredients:

• 8 oz pork coppa

• 2 Tbsp. canola oil

• 3 oz shiitake mushrooms

• 9 Cloves garlic, minced

• 1/4 Cup rice wine

• 1 Tbsp. soy sauce

• 1/4 Tbsp. sake (alt. mirin)

• 1/4 tsp. salt

• 1/8 tsp. black pepper

• Sprinkle of chili powder, to taste

• 1/2 tsp freshly grated ginger

• 2 Servings soba noodles

• 2 Eggs, soft boiled

• 1/2 Cup scallions

• 1 Sheet nori

• 1 Tbsp. sesame oil

• 2/3 Cup unflavored, unsweetened soy milk

• 1 Pint Tonkatsu ramen stock

• 1 Cup fresh spinach, divided

• 2 Tbsp. Sriracha*

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven on 330ºF

2. Slice shiitake mushrooms and set aside

3. In small to medium cast iron pan, heated on the stove top, add 1 Tbsp. of canola oil and sear/brown the pork coppa

4. Remove the meat and set aside. Add all the minced garlic cloves (buy a garlic press*—it is a kitchen must have!) and cook until lightly browned. Return the pork belly into the pot, and add the sliced shiitake mushrooms. Also add sake/mirin, soy sauce, rice wine, salt and ground black pepper to the cast iron.

5. Put the filled cast iron into the oven and bake for 15 minutes, turning the pork belly 1-2 times

6. While the contents of the pan cook, heat the ramen broth on the stove. Admittedly, I am a total cheater and bought a homemade ramen stock from my amazing butcher. You can attempt to make your own from complete scratch—which I've also done in the past, and it wasn't as difficult as I expected. Check out Lady and Pups for great ramen stock recipes: spicy and more traditional.

7. Once the broth is heated, add the unflavoured/unsweetened soy milk and 1 tsp of salt, or more to taste. Simmer for 5 minutes.

8. Bring a large pot of water to boil and cook the noodles according to instructions. Drain well and divide into two large serving bowls.

9. ASSEMBLE: Slice the braised pork and arrange over the top of the noodles. Place 1/2 cup of fresh spinach and half of the garlic and cooked mushroom mix from the cast iron pan into each bowl. Peel and halve the soft-boiled eggs, then place one egg in each bowl. Garnish the toppings with the finely diced scallions and nori/dried seaweed.

10. Spoon the broth over the noodles and assembly. Serve immediately and feel your insides warm.

11. PRO TIP: Best enjoyed on a frosty night paired with chilled sake, I prefer Sayuri Nigori Sake.

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