Japanese Black Garlic Oil Tsukemen
Experience authentic ramen-ya flavor at home with Japanese black garlic oil tsukemen, featuring chewy dipped noodles, torched chashu, and a rich, smoky tonkotsu dipping broth.
Tsukemen, or dipping ramen, separates the concentrated, punchy broth from the chilled noodles so every bite retains its ideal texture and temperature. This rendition features homemade black garlic oil, which transforms standard tonkotsu broth into a deeply savory, aromatic experience reminiscent of famous noodle shops in Beijing and Tokyo.
Ingredients
- 50 g lard
- 50 g vegetable oil
- 100 g garlic
- 2 servings ramen noodles
- 4 slices chashu pork belly
- 2 soft-boiled eggs
- 50 g bamboo shoots
- 2 tbsp tonkotsu broth
- 1 tbsp seasoned soy sauce
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- to taste chopped scallions
- to taste sesame seeds
Instructions
- 1Fry the Garlic Slices
Add sliced garlic into the pot with lard and vegetable oil. Fry continuously over low heat until the garlic slices turn deep brown.
Tip: Keep the heat low the entire time to ensure even frying without burning prematurely. - 2Reserve Browned Garlic and Blacken the Rest
Scoop out one-third of the garlic slices once they turn deep brown. Continue frying the remaining slices until they turn black and smoke slightly.
Tip: Smoking is normal when blackening the garlic, so do not be afraid to let them darken. - 3Transfer to Food Processor
Pour all the fried garlic slices along with the oil into a clear glass food processor bowl to prepare for blending.
Tip: Make sure to transfer all three colors of garlic slices together with the oil for a balanced flavor. - 4Blend the Black Garlic Oil
Blend the garlic slices and oil in the food processor until crushed to a coarse consistency, then transfer the resulting black garlic oil paste into a white bowl.
Tip: Avoid blending it too fine; a slightly textured consistency works best for the dipping sauce. - 5Sear the Chashu Pork Belly
Place the chashu pork belly slices in a frying pan and use a kitchen torch with a blue flame to sear them, bringing out a rich smoky aroma.
Tip: Sear evenly across the surface until lightly caramelized to enhance the flavor profile. - 6Prepare the Dipping Sauce
Add 1 spoonful of seasoned soy sauce, 1 spoonful of garlic powder, 1 spoonful of black garlic oil, and 2 spoonfuls of tonkotsu broth into a dipping bowl. Finish with chopped scallions and sesame seeds, then mix everything together.
Tip: Make sure to thoroughly combine the rich tonkotsu broth with the pungent black garlic oil for an authentic flavor profile. - 7Boil the Ramen Noodles
Boil the ramen noodles in a pot of boiling water until cooked to your preferred firmness. Once done, remove the noodles and rinse them thoroughly with cold water to stop the cooking process and improve their chewiness.
Tip: Rinsing the boiled noodles in cold water is key for tsukemen to give them a nice springy texture.
