If you have ever wanted to make Japanese noodle house ramen, this tonkatsu recipe is for you. This everyday meal is great for singles with some cooking experience; it may take longer than the overall time without cooking experience. To save time, I rarely measure each ingredient’s amount due to the large number of small measurements in the recipe.
Prep Time::30 mins
Cook Time::45 mins
Total Time:: 1 hr 15 mins
Servings::1
Yield::1 bowl
Ingredients
1 large egg
1 ½ teaspoons spicy sesame oil
2 (1×3-inch) boneless pork chop slices
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 tablespoon black sesame seeds, divided
2 leaves fresh basil, chopped, divided
1 leaf fresh sage, chopped, divided
1 (3 ounce) package instant ramen noodles (such as Shirakiku®), seasoning packet discarded
3 tablespoons shredded dried kombu
1 ¾ tablespoons bonito soup stock (such as Hondashi®)
1 ¾ tablespoons soy sauce (shoyu)
½ teaspoon white miso paste with dashi
Toppings:
4 1/3-inch slices fish paste stick (naruto)
1 tablespoon tonkatsu sauce
1 tablespoon sushi ginger (shoga), finely chopped
1 green onion, thinly sliced
1 pinch ground black pepper
Directions
Fill a small pot halfway with water. Bring to a boil; add egg and cook in boiling water for 15 minutes. Drain. Run cold water over egg and set aside to cool.
Pour sesame oil into a large skillet. Lay pork slices in oil. Cover pork with 1 tablespoon olive oil, 1/2 tablespoon sesame seeds, 1/2 of the basil, and 1/2 of the sage. Flip and cover pork with these remaining ingredients: 1 tablespoon olive oil, 1/2 tablespoon sesame seeds, basil, and sage.
Cook pork, covered, over medium-low heat, until evenly browned on the bottom, about 5 minutes. Flip and continue cooking until second side is browned, about 5 minutes more. Remove from heat.
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cook ramen noodles in boiling water until tender, about 3 minutes. Drain in a colander set in the sink; rinse noodles until water runs clear. Return noodles to the pot.
Stir kombu, bonito stock, soy sauce, and miso paste into noodles. Cook, stirring with chopsticks, over medium heat, until miso paste is dissolved, 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer noodles to a serving bowl.
Peel and cut egg in half lengthwise. Place egg, pork slices, and fish paste slices over noodles. Garnish with tonkatsu sauce, ginger, green onion, and black pepper.
Tips
You can find most of the ingredients in a Japanese market.
You can substitute dried Welsh onions for green onions. You can substitute dried basil and sage for fresh if preferred.
Start preparing pork while waiting for the water to boil for the egg so everything is finished by the time the egg is cooked and cooled.
Editor's Note:
Nutrition data for this recipe includes the full amount of bonito soup stock. The actual amount of bonito consumed will vary.