Mazesoba (Mazemen) - Japanese Brothless Ramen

Step 1

Gather all the ingredients. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Once boiling, turn off the heat and cover until you're ready to cook the noodles. Prepare the toppings and seasoned pork while you're waiting for the water to boil.

Step 2

Thinly slice the green onions. Cut the garlic chives into pieces ⅛ inch (3 mm) wide. Set them aside.

Step 3

Put the katsuobushi in a Japanese mortar and grind it with a pestle until powdered.

Step 4

Cut the nori sheet into pieces ¼ inch (6 mm) square.

Step 5

Peel and grate the ginger (I use this grater). You will need ½ tsp of grated ginger for 2 servings.

Step 6

Mince or crush 1 garlic clove (for 2 servings) for cooking the meat and set aside along with the grated ginger from the previous step. Additionally, mince or crush 2 garlic cloves (for 2 servings) and set aside for serving.

Step 7

Separate the egg yolks and egg whites, if you haven't already. I use a slotted spoon to separate the yolks and whites of eggs that I cooked sous vide (I heated the eggs gently using an immersion circulator).

Step 8

Heat a large frying pan on medium heat. When the pan is hot, distribute the sesame oil evenly and add the ground pork.

Step 9

Cook the ground pork until it's no longer pink. Add the grated ginger and minced/crushed garlic. Stir for 1-2 minutes until fragrant.

Step 10

Add the sake and mix well.

Step 11

Add the doubanjiang (spicy chili bean sauce/broad bean paste) and stir until combined.

Step 12

Add the soy sauce and oyster sauce and mix well.

Step 13

Add the sugar and chicken stock and mix. Let it simmer on medium-low heat for 2-3 minutes. If the cooking liquid is evaporating fast, add some water (or more chicken stock). Leave some cooking liquid in the pan, and later, you will add this liquid to the serving bowls to season the noodles.

Step 14

Finally, taste the pork mixture and add the salt, if needed. Turn off the heat and set it aside.

Step 15

Reheat the large pot of water to a boil. Separate and loosen the fresh noodles with your hands before adding to the boiling water. Cook the fresh (or dried) ramen noodles according to the package instructions. I usually cook the noodles al dente (about 15 seconds less than the suggested cooking time). Stir the noodles once in a while to make sure they do not stick to the bottom of the pot.

Step 16

Once the ramen is finished cooking, drain them in a sieve. Shake off any excess water.

Step 17

Divide and transfer the noodles into individual ramen bowls. Next, mix the sesame oil and salt in a small bowl for seasoning the noodles.

Step 18

Divide and drizzle the sesame oil mixture into the noodles. Use chopsticks to loosen the noodles and coat them well with the sesame oil mixture.

Step 19

First, put the seasoned pork with its cooking liquid on top and in the center of the noodles and create an indentation to hold an egg yolk. Next, place the green onions, garlic chives, katsuobushi powder, nori seaweed, crushed garlic, and tenkasu in small piles around the pork. Lastly, place the sous vide egg yolk in the indentation in the pork and serve warm. Mix the noodles and toppings with chopsticks until the egg yolk is well incorporated and enjoy.

Step 20

You can keep the leftovers in an airtight container and store them in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. You can store the seasoned pork in the freezer for up to a month. I sometimes mix this seasoned pork with steamed rice to make rice balls for my kids' lunch.