Current Events > I'm really into ramen these days

(+) Yeah! (+)

(by which I mean the meal as opposed to using the term for noodles)

I remember being younger and thinking it sounded so unappealing...like, noodles and veg and meat in soup wtf??? But yeah, have been having it a lot when I'm eating out lately. Something extremely comforting about a big bowl of miso on a cold day too

All the ramen/sushi places by me only sell pork ramen for some reason. Bleh.
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Malfunction posted...

I remember being younger and thinking it sounded so unappealing...like, noodles and veg and meat in soup wtf???

Younger you was weird af dude
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Smashingpmkns posted...

Malfunction posted...

I remember being younger and thinking it sounded so unappealing...like, noodles and veg and meat in soup wtf???

Younger you was weird af dude

Lol its funny how written out it does actually sound kind of weird but at the same time thats literally the description of the most famous/common soup.
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Smashingpmkns posted...

Malfunction posted...

I remember being younger and thinking it sounded so unappealing...like, noodles and veg and meat in soup wtf???

Younger you was weird af dude

Lol I don't disagree. I guess it's more about it being a broth than a traditional "western" soup. I think I also perceived it as being less filling or decadent or something on account of that.

Once upon a time before I was interested in cooking I went to a ramen restaurant, paid $20 for it, and felt like it was far too much money for what is ostensibly
a bowl of noodle soup. The chef was a friend and I told him as much. He smiled and said "do you have any idea how much work went into that noodle soup?"

I kind of figured he was just being a typically defensive chef and left it at that. Years later I decided to try making tonkotsu ramen.

It was easily the most laborious and time consuming thing I've ever tried to do in a kitchen. I spent $50 in ingredients and maybe 3-4 days of fairly consistent work to try and get that bowl of fucking noodle soup together.

So yeah I have a profound respect for ramen places now, and if anyone ever says "cooking is easier and cheaper than eating out" I will say "Not always, have you tried making proper ramen before?"
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pinky0926 posted...

Once upon a time before I was interested in cooking I went to a ramen restaurant, paid $20 for it, and felt like it was far too much money for what is ostensibly
a bowl of noodle soup. The chef was a friend and I told him as much. He smiled and said "do you have any idea how much work went into that noodle soup?"

I kind of figured he was just being a typically defensive chef and left it at that. Years later I decided to try making tonkotsu ramen.

It was easily the most laborious and time consuming thing I've ever tried to do in a kitchen. I spent $50 in ingredients and maybe 3-4 days of fairly consistent work to try and get that bowl of fucking noodle soup together.

So yeah I have a profound respect for ramen places now, and if anyone ever says "cooking is easier and cheaper than eating out" I will say "Not always, have you tried making proper ramen before?"

What makes it so arduous and time-consuming?
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I'm actually into soup a lot more in general these days tbf

Shablagoo posted...

What makes it so arduous and time-consuming?

There's 4 elements to a basic ramen. The noodles, the broth (stock), the "tare" sauce (the spices basically), and the toppings. Each one of these elements may as well be treated like an entire evening of cooking.

1. The noodles you probably don't want to make, as it's really hard to make very good noodles. But that's essentially like any old pasta method. Mix flour and water and egg, knead, cut, store, etc. It takes time and effort. I actually skipped this step because of how long everything else took.

2. The tonkotsu stock. This isn't like french or western stock, which is clear right to the bottom. You can't just throw some bones and vegetables in a slow cooker and leave on a low simmer for 4 hours. First you have to boil and clean the bones and remove all the scum. Then you rinse, and boil and scrub again. Once you have clean bones, then you can start the boil, but it has to be a very high temperature rolling boil, for at least 24 hours. The idea is to complete break down the bones so that all that fat gets suspended in the broth, rather than just gently ease it out of the bone marrow like in a french stock. So you can't just leave that alone. You have to watch it, and keep topping up with water, and skim off the scum that floats to the top. It's a lot of active time. Eventually you will end up with a thick, opaque stock.

3. A simple tare might be some kind of soy sauce and chilli reduction, but these can get incredibly complex, with roasted meats and vegetables and blackened garlic and so on. But expect 30 minutes of work at least. I was able to do mine using the leftover braising liquid from the pork belly, which worked well.

4. The toppings. Each one of the toppings can be an entire meal prep. So you might have those marinated eggs, which are half boiled and then left to marinade in soy sauce and mirin overnight. You might have pork belly which has been slow braised for hours, and then finished with a blow torch or on a grill. You've got scallions and seaweed and all kinds of stuff.

And finally you've got to throw all of these together at the end *really* quickly and eat it immediately (otherwise risk spoiling the noodles), so everything has to be fresh and hot and good to go. So you've got days worth of prep and only like 60 seconds at the end to get it all together to serve.
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do you know how to make a good bowl of ramen yourself?

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Parappa09 posted...

do you know how to make a good bowl of ramen yourself?

pinky0926 posted...

Shablagoo posted...

What makes it so arduous and time-consuming?

There's 4 elements to a basic ramen. The noodles, the broth (stock), the "tare" sauce (the spices basically), and the toppings. Each one of these elements may as well be treated like an entire evening of cooking.

1. The noodles you probably don't want to make, as it's really hard to make very good noodles. But that's essentially like any old pasta method. Mix flour and water and egg, knead, cut, store, etc. It takes time and effort. I actually skipped this step because of how long everything else took.

2. The tonkotsu stock. This isn't like french or western stock, which is clear right to the bottom. You can't just throw some bones and vegetables in a slow cooker and leave on a low simmer for 4 hours. First you have to boil and clean the bones and remove all the scum. Then you rinse, and boil and scrub again. Once you have clean bones, then you can start the boil, but it has to be a very high temperature rolling boil, for at least 24 hours. The idea is to complete break down the bones so that all that fat gets suspended in the broth, rather than just gently ease it out of the bone marrow like in a french stock. So you can't just leave that alone. You have to watch it, and keep topping up with water, and skim off the scum that floats to the top. It's a lot of active time. Eventually you will end up with a thick, opaque stock.

3. A simple tare might be some kind of soy sauce and chilli reduction, but these can get incredibly complex, with roasted meats and vegetables and blackened garlic and so on. But expect 30 minutes of work at least.

4. The toppings. Each one of the toppings can be an entire meal prep. So you might have those marinated eggs, which are half boiled and then left to marinade in soy sauce and mirin overnight. You might have pork belly which has been slow braised for hours, and then finished with a blow torch or on a grill. You've got scallions and seaweed and all kinds of stuff.

And finally you've got to throw all of these together at the end *really* quickly and eat it immediately (otherwise risk spoiling the noodles), so everything has to be fresh and hot and good to go. So you've got days worth of prep and only like 60 seconds at the end to get it all together to serve.

I do now!

Jesus, that sounds almost impossible in any practical setting.

Once you have clean bones, then you can start the boil, but it has to be a very high temperature rolling boil, for at least 24 hours. The idea is to complete break down the bones so that all that fat gets suspended in the broth, rather than just gently ease it out of the bone marrow like in a french stock. So you can't just leave that alone. You have to watch it, and keep topping up with water, and skim off the scum that floats to the top. It's a lot of active time.

Wait are you saying you basically have to be standing over the pot for 24 hours straight??
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Shablagoo posted...

Jesus, that sounds almost impossible in any practical setting.

Once you have clean bones, then you can start the boil, but it has to be a very high temperature rolling boil, for at least 24 hours. The idea is to complete break down the bones so that all that fat gets suspended in the broth, rather than just gently ease it out of the bone marrow like in a french stock. So you can't just leave that alone. You have to watch it, and keep topping up with water, and skim off the scum that floats to the top. It's a lot of active time.

Wait are you saying you basically have to be standing over the pot for 24 hours straight??

Pretty much. Many suggest longer, like 36 hours plus. Which is obviously impossible in a home setting, but doable in a professional kitchen.

I spent like 6 hours at the stove initially, occasionally checking, topping up with water. Then when I had had enough I stuck it in a slow cooker, knowing it wasn't nearly hot enough to get the desired result. So the next morning I put it back on the stove and boiled it on high again for a few more hours until it could be passed as a tonkotsu broth.

So yeah, it's completely impractical at home, and especially impractical if you don't tend to have pork bones and things like mirin or black garlic just lying around. Just go out to a ramen joint and enjoy all the work they've been putting in all week to make you those $20 noodles.
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Here was mine:

https://imgur.com/CjtTumN

Oh, I also missed out a step in my recipe, which was to char the vegetables being added to the stock. This isn't traditional and pollutes the colour of the stock, but it does add flavour.
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pinky0926 posted...

Pretty much. Many suggest longer, like 36 hours plus. Which is obviously impossible in a home setting, but doable in a professional kitchen.

I spent like 6 hours at the stove initially, occasionally checking, topping up with water. Then when I had had enough I stuck it in a slow cooker, knowing it wasn't nearly hot enough to get the desired result. So the next morning I put it back on the stove and boiled it on high again for a few more hours until it could be passed as a tonkotsu broth.

So yeah, it's completely impractical at home, and especially impractical if you don't tend to have pork bones and things like mirin or black garlic just lying around. Just go out to a ramen joint and enjoy all the work they've been putting in all week to make you those $20 noodles.

Wow, that is insane. Although tbh it kind of fits my style, I always hover around my pots when Im cooking something and people make fun of me for it lol
pinky0926 posted...

Here was mine:

https://imgur.com/CjtTumN

Oh, I also missed out a step in my recipe, which was to char the vegetables being added to the stock. This isn't traditional and pollutes the colour of the stock, but it does add flavour.

Wow, well at least all that work produced something that looks really delicious!:)

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Thanks! It was delicious, but honestly aside from how much I learned I wouldn't say it was worth it. It was more expensive and less good than ramen at a ramen restaurant, basically.
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pinky0926 posted...

Once upon a time before I was interested in cooking I went to a ramen restaurant, paid $20 for it, and felt like it was far too much money for what is ostensibly
a bowl of noodle soup. The chef was a friend and I told him as much. He smiled and said "do you have any idea how much work went into that noodle soup?"

I kind of figured he was just being a typically defensive chef and left it at that. Years later I decided to try making tonkotsu ramen.

It was easily the most laborious and time consuming thing I've ever tried to do in a kitchen. I spent $50 in ingredients and maybe 3-4 days of fairly consistent work to try and get that bowl of fucking noodle soup together.

So yeah I have a profound respect for ramen places now, and if anyone ever says "cooking is easier and cheaper than eating out" I will say "Not always, have you tried making proper ramen before?"

B-b-but instant ramen!

Ramen is pretty much our greatest achievement as a species.
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pinky0926 posted...

Thanks! It was delicious, but honestly aside from how much I learned I wouldn't say it was worth it. It was more expensive and less good than ramen at a ramen restaurant, basically.

I might have to bite the bullet and just try a pork ramen bowl. I mean Im sure I can find a better ramen place somewhere in my city but these ones are within walking distance.

(I like pork I just prefer chicken, beef, or fish in ramen.)

RescueBC posted...

Ramen is pretty much our greatest achievement as a species.

amen
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I had a pork one which was great lately and then one last week which had chicken, prawn and tofu which was amazing

Malfunction posted...

I had a pork one which was great lately and then one last week which had chicken, prawn and tofu which was amazing

Whoa nice. I guess pork soup just sounds kind of nasty to me, but I guess it depends on how they present it. Like, pinkys looked good.
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@Parappa09 u got a good ramen recipe

Malfunction posted...

@Parappa09 u got a good ramen recipe

bro i suck at making ramen. the stock is the hardest part, I'm decent with noodles and toppings

one of those foods that id rather eat out and enjoy at a restaurant. theres a good place near me that does a great bowl for around 11

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Parappa09 posted...

Malfunction posted...

@Parappa09 u got a good ramen recipe

bro i suck at making ramen. the stock is the hardest part, I'm decent with noodles and toppings

one of those foods that id rather eat out and enjoy at a restaurant. theres a good place near me that does a great bowl for around 11

Damn, thought you had a dope secret recipe when you mentioned it

Might stock up on miso paste for the winter

hahah no i just stick to tonkotsu ramen at shoryu

come to london and well grab a bowl

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Real ramen is awesome

Only tried it for the first time like 5 years ago. Before that had only had instant. Mind was blown

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pinky0926 posted...

2. The tonkotsu stock. This isn't like french or western stock, which is clear right to the bottom. You can't just throw some bones and vegetables in a slow cooker and leave on a low simmer for 4 hours. First you have to boil and clean the bones and remove all the scum. Then you rinse, and boil and scrub again. Once you have clean bones, then you can start the boil, but it has to be a very high temperature rolling boil, for at least 24 hours. The idea is to complete break down the bones so that all that fat gets suspended in the broth, rather than just gently ease it out of the bone marrow like in a french stock. So you can't just leave that alone. You have to watch it, and keep topping up with water, and skim off the scum that floats to the top. It's a lot of active time. Eventually you will end up with a thick, opaque stock.

You don't have to do tonkotsu stock. That's easily the hardest one. If it's your first time you can start with a shoyu or shio stock. They'll probably taste better if you're making it at home.

There are also plenty of shortcuts you can take in the other areas. You can just use regular soft boiled eggs, or just buy a pork belly or pork shoulder and boil it in a broth with lots of soy sauce, green onions, and ginger. You could even use a pork loin or chicken breasts if you prefer lean meat. Then add some vegetables that go well with it like green onions, cabbage, and moyashi bean sprouts. It may not be restaurant quality but you can make a damn good noodle soup, and cheap.

It's not worth it to try and make the same thing you eat in a restaurant but if you have decent quality ingredients and have a good sense of what works you can make some really good soup with patience and experimentation.
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I dont think we should be eatin ramen. It was originally meant for chinese herb medicine but japaneses hastarnished the thousands years old tradition just like what they did to indian curry @PatrickMahomes

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Actually hot ramen or ramen for pussies?
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I'm also really into RA men

action52 posted...

pinky0926 posted...

2. The tonkotsu stock. This isn't like french or western stock, which is clear right to the bottom. You can't just throw some bones and vegetables in a slow cooker and leave on a low simmer for 4 hours. First you have to boil and clean the bones and remove all the scum. Then you rinse, and boil and scrub again. Once you have clean bones, then you can start the boil, but it has to be a very high temperature rolling boil, for at least 24 hours. The idea is to complete break down the bones so that all that fat gets suspended in the broth, rather than just gently ease it out of the bone marrow like in a french stock. So you can't just leave that alone. You have to watch it, and keep topping up with water, and skim off the scum that floats to the top. It's a lot of active time. Eventually you will end up with a thick, opaque stock.

You don't have to do tonkotsu stock. That's easily the hardest one. If it's your first time you can start with a shoyu or shio stock. They'll probably taste better if you're making it at home.

There are also plenty of shortcuts you can take in the other areas. You can just use regular soft boiled eggs, or just buy a pork belly or pork shoulder and boil it in a broth with lots of soy sauce, green onions, and ginger. You could even use a pork loin or chicken breasts if you prefer lean meat. Then add some vegetables that go well with it like green onions, cabbage, and moyashi bean sprouts. It may not be restaurant quality but you can make a damn good noodle soup, and cheap.

It's not worth it to try and make the same thing you eat in a restaurant but if you have decent quality ingredients and have a good sense of what works you can make some really good soup with patience and experimentation.

That's a fair comment and I wasn't trying to say it's never worth making at home, just that generally I think I'd rather just pay the $20 for great ramen than spend a long time making something this fussy.
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Oldin posted...

I dont think we should be eatin ramen. It was originally meant for chinese herb medicine but japaneses hastarnished the thousands years old tradition just like what they did to indian curry PatrickMahomes

Ramen is fucking delicious but holy cow the sodium is off the charts
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PatrickMahomes posted...

Ramen is fucking delicious but holy cow the sodium is off the charts

Umami is the bullshit way japanese want more salt in soup. Thank god the bonito flake is banned for causing cancer they still practice their way of smoking the fish eventhough their well aware of how hazardous making food moulded and smoke like that.

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Try bathing in it.

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