Spicy Pork Kimchi Ramen
Elevate your instant ramen with this spicy pork kimchi upgrade. Thinly sliced pork and tangy kimchi stir-fried to perfection create a deeply flavorful broth, finished with a velvety egg.
Kimchi ramen is a beloved Korean comfort food, often customized with whatever is on hand. Stir-frying the kimchi and pork before adding the liquid deepens the savory notes and caramelizes the kimchis acidity, resulting in a richer, more complex bowl of noodles that tastes like it came from a restaurant.
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp cooking oil
- 300 g thinly sliced pork (belly or shoulder)
- 1.5 cups chopped fermented kimchi
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 0.5 tbsp Korean chili paste (gochujang)
- 1 tbsp Korean chili powder (gochugaru)
- 500 ml water
- 1 pack instant ramen (noodles, vegetable packet, and seasoning)
- 1 whole egg (beaten)
- 2 tbsp chopped green onions
- 1 dash black pepper
Instructions
- 1Sauté the pork
Pour a generous amount of cooking oil into a pan. Add 300g of thinly sliced pork and cook it over medium-high heat until it loses its pink color and is fully browned.
Tip: Make sure the oil is hot before adding the pork to ensure a good sear. - 2Add kimchi and sugar
Once the pork is browned, add two paper cups of chopped kimchi and one tablespoon of sugar to the pan. Stir-fry the mixture thoroughly to combine the flavors.
Tip: Adding sugar helps balance the acidity of the kimchi during the stir-fry process. - 3Season with chili
Add half a tablespoon of chili paste and one tablespoon of chili powder to the pan. Continue to stir-fry the ingredients to ensure the pork and kimchi are evenly coated with the spices.
Tip: Adjust the amount of chili paste and powder based on your personal spice preference. - 4Add water for the broth
Pour 500ml of water into the pan with the stir-fried mixture. Bring the liquid to a boil to create the base for the ramen broth.
Tip: Scrape the bottom of the pan while pouring to incorporate all the caramelized flavor bits. - 5Cook the noodles
Once the broth is boiling, add the ramen noodles into the pan. Cook for one to two minutes, pressing them down gently to ensure they submerge and cook evenly in the flavorful broth.
Tip: Keep an eye on the noodles to ensure they dont overcook and become too soft. - 6Add seasoning
Add the vegetable packet and two-thirds of the instant ramen seasoning packet to the boiling noodles and broth. Stir gently to incorporate.
Tip: Adding two-thirds of the packet helps control the saltiness of the final dish. - 7Add the beaten egg
Finally, pour the beaten egg into the pan and stir it in thoroughly with the ramen noodles and pork kimchi mixture. This step adds a rich, velvety texture to the broth and enhances the overall flavor of the dish.
Tip: Add the egg slowly while stirring to ensure it creates silky ribbons throughout the broth rather than scrambling. - 8Garnish the ramen
Sprinkle chopped green onions and a dash of ground pepper over the cooked ramen to add freshness and a final pop of spice. Once garnished, the delicious pork kimchi ramen is ready to be served.
Tip: Use the green parts of the spring onion for a vibrant color contrast against the deep red kimchi broth.
