Applestone in the Kitchen: Braised Pork Belly Ramen

Cooking Time 6 1/2 hours

If you have a pork belly on hand, any sized piece, here's how to braise it. Once you have braised pork belly in your fridge, there are a bunch of amazing dishes you can make with it. We happen to be craving ramen, so we fried up some strips of the pork belly and ate it with ramen noodles. There are a bunch of garnishes you can add -- if you have them -- to adjust the flavor, they're all listed in the recipe below. But you just can't go wrong with pork belly and noodles.

If you have any braising questions -- related to pork or any meat  --  just ask! We're playing with other ways to used braised pork belly for future Applestone in the Kitchen recipes now. Check back -- and enjoy! 

Braised Pork Belly

1 piece of pork belly, this method works for any sized piece

1 yellow onion, cut in half

1 head of garlic, cut in half

2 to 3 jalapenos (optional)

4 to 5 bay leaves

1 lime, cut in half and juiced

3 tablespoons soy sauce

4 tablespoons salt

1 tablespoon pepper, preferably cracked

Water

• Preheat oven to 300. Meanwhile, rub salt and pepper all over pork belly.

• Place belly fat side up in a roasting pan. Next, add all other ingredients into the pan. Add enough water so the belly is covered about ¾ of the way. Cover and braise in the oven for 6 hours, or until fork tender.

• Remove from oven and let the belly sit in braising liquid until cool enough to handle. Remove from liquid and place belly on a dish in the fridge.

• Strain and reserve the braising liquid, place in fridge. When the braising liquid is cooled, remove the solidified fat from the top.

Ramen with Pork Belly

1 pound braised pork belly

½ cup dried mushrooms (optional or substitute ¾ cups fresh mushrooms)

1 small piece of ginger (approximately ½ an inch)

5 cloves garlic, roughly chopped

2 stalks celery, roughly chopped

1 yellow onion, cut in half and charred (place over an open flame of a gas stove until cut side is blackened, or place in a hot dry pan cut side down until blackened)

2 teaspoons rice vinegar (or substitute any light vinegar)

1 pound fresh ramen noodles (or 4 packages dried ramen)

1 tablespoon coriander seeds (optional)

3 star anise pods (optional)2 teaspoons allspice pods (optional)

2 teaspoons sesame oil (optional)

1 tablespoon cooking oil

Soy sauce to taste (optional garnish)

Sriracha, sambal, or other hot sauce (optional garnish)

4 to 5 sprigs cilantro (optional garnish)

½ hard boiled egg (optional garnish)

• Cut fully chilled braised pork belly into approximately ¼-inch thick strips, set aside.

• In a large pot, heat cooking oil and lightly fry spices, about 90 seconds. Add onion, garlic, celery, ginger, and mushrooms to the oil, cook until they start to brown. Add sesame oil and stir to coat. Add vinegar, let simmer about 2 minutes, until almost dry.

• Add reserved braising liquid, bring to a boil, then reduce heat and let simmer about one to one and a half hours with the cover off, paying attention not to let it reduce too much. When finished, adjust flavor with salt and pepper, add more soy sauce if needed.

• While broth is simmering, place a skillet over medium heat. Lightly salt the cut side of pork belly strips, then place cut side down in the dry pan over medium heat and let render, about 6 minutes per side, until crispy and heated through.

• Strain broth through a strainer and discard solids, then bring it back to a boil and add noodles. Cook about 2 to 3 minutes until tender but chewy. If you’re using instant ramen, just pour hot liquid over the noodles, cover for a minute and a half.

• Serve noodles in a bowl with enough broth to cover them. Lay a few strips of crisped pork belly on each bowl with whatever garnishes you have on hand.