Easy Pork Mazesoba
shared by Nibblore Cuisine
This brothless ramen dish combines springy noodles, deeply browned pork and a rich soy, sesame and rice vinegar sauce. A fresh egg yolk turns the sauce silky and creamy when mixed through at the table. Ready in under 40 minutes, it makes a satisfying Japanese lunch or dinner. • Drain the noodles very thoroughly, as excess water will dilute the sauce and prevent it from clinging properly. • Let the pork brown well before adding the aromatics to create a deeper, more savoury flavour. • Use very fresh eggs and keep them refrigerated until you are ready to serve. • If the sauce thickens before serving, loosen each bowl with an extra teaspoon of hot water. • Replace the pork with the same quantity of ground chicken or turkey, adding 1 teaspoon of oil while cooking if the meat is very lean. • If fresh ramen noodles are unavailable, use 320 g dried ramen noodles and follow the packet cooking time. • Replace the mirin with 2 tablespoons of water mixed with 1 teaspoon of sugar. • To avoid raw egg yolk, use a soft-boiled egg cooked in boiling water for 6 minutes 30 seconds, then cooled and peeled. Store the pork, noodles and toppings separately in airtight containers in the fridge for up to 2 days. Do not store the raw egg yolks with the dish. Reheat the pork and noodles in a frying pan with 1–2 tablespoons of water, then add a fresh yolk and the toppings. Freezing the noodles is not recommended, but the cooked pork can be frozen for up to 2 months.
- Total time
- 35 min
- Servings
- 4
- Difficulty
- Beginner-friendly
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Save recipeIngredients
- 400 gfresh ramen noodles
- 450 gground pork
- 2 tbspneutral vegetable oil
- 2 clovesgarlic, finely grated
- 15 gfresh ginger, finely grated
- 5 tbspJapanese soy sauce
- 2 tbspmirin
- 1 tbsprice vinegar
- 2 tsptoasted sesame oil
- 1 tspgranulated sugar
- 1 tspJapanese chilli paste or another chilli paste
- 4very fresh egg yolks
- 4spring onions
- 2nori sheets
- 2 tsptoasted sesame seeds
- 4 tbspreserved noodle cooking water
Instructions
- 1Thinly slice the spring onions, keeping the white and green parts separate. Cut the nori into thin strips. In a bowl, stir together 3 tablespoons of the soy sauce, the rice vinegar, sesame oil, sugar and chilli paste until the sugar dissolves.
- 2Bring a large saucepan containing about 3 litres of water to the boil. Meanwhile, heat the vegetable oil in a large 28 cm frying pan over medium-high heat.
- 3Add the ground pork to the pan and spread it into an even layer. Leave it undisturbed for 2 minutes to sear, then cook for another 4–5 minutes, breaking it into small pieces, until well browned with no pink remaining.
- 4Add the white parts of the spring onions, garlic and ginger. Cook for 1 minute, stirring. Add the mirin and remaining 2 tablespoons of soy sauce, then simmer over medium heat for 2–3 minutes, until the pork is glossy and almost no liquid remains. Keep warm over low heat.
- 5Cook the ramen noodles in the boiling water according to the packet directions, usually 2–4 minutes for fresh noodles. They should be tender but still slightly firm. Reserve 4 tablespoons of cooking water, then drain the noodles thoroughly without rinsing.
- 6Immediately divide the prepared sauce among four large bowls. Add 1 tablespoon of cooking water to each bowl, followed by the piping-hot noodles. Toss for 20–30 seconds until the noodles are evenly coated.
- 7Spoon the pork into the centre of each bowl. Top with the green parts of the spring onions, nori strips and sesame seeds. Make a small well on top and add an egg yolk. Serve immediately and mix vigorously before eating.