Book Bait: Squid Ink Ramen

Ingredients

CHAR SIU:
• 28 oz (1.7 lbs/785 grams) rectangular strip of skinless pork belly
• 4 scallions, trimmed
• 3 cloves of garlic, peeled
• 1 1/2 cup chicken stock
• 1/3 cup soy sauce
• 1/3 cup dark soy sauce
• 2 tbsp dark brown sugar
• 1 tbsp fish sauce
• 2 star anise
• 1 small cinnamon stick
• 1/4 tsp garam malasa
SQUID INKED LARD:
• 3.5 oz (0.2 lb/100 grams) Italian guanciale or fatty pancetta (see note *), finely diced
• 4 tbsp toasted sesame oil
• 6 cloves of garlic, peeled
• 1 tbsp chicken stock
• 4 tbsp (64 grams) squid ink
FOR ONE SERVING OF RAMEN:
• 1 tbsp + 1 tsp ramen seasoning, recipe in the cookbook
• 2 tbsp squid inked lard
• 2 cups (480 ml) of chicken white broth/tori paitan, recipe in the cookbook
• 1 portion of store-bought fresh ramen, or my all-purpose homemade ramen from the cookbook
• 1 soft boiled egg
• 1/2 sheet of Japanese toasted seaweed
• 2 tbsp finely mined onion or scallion
• 1 tbsp fried garlic powder
• Helldust to taste, recipe in the cookbook and win a jar by entering the sweepstake

Instructions

1. MAKE CHAR SIU: Start the day before serving. Place the pork belly fat-side down, and trim the meat-side of the pork belly so it's even in thickness, and cut a few slits crosswise 2/3 of the way through. In a food-processor or immersion blender, blend scallion and garlic until finely minced. Rub/stuff the mixture into the slits and the juice all round. Tightly roll the pork belly lengthwise, fat-side out, and tie it together with butcher twines.
2. In a small pot that will snuggly fit the entire pork belly, coat the bottom with a tiny bit of oil and heat over medium-high heat. Brown the entire exterior of the pork belly until caramelized, then add chicken stock, soy sauce, dark soy sauce, dark brown sugar, fish sauce, star anise, cinnamon stick and garam masala. Cover the pot and maintain at a simmer, turning the pork belly several times in between, and cook for 2:30 hours. Once cooled, transfer everything into a small container or bag that will allow the liquid to completely submerge the pork belly, and let sit in the fridge overnight before using.
3. MAKE SQUID INKED LARD: In a small non-stick pot, cook the guanciale or pancetta over medium heat until all the fat is rendered out and the guanciale is dried and crispy. Once cooled, add toasted sesame oil, garlics, chicken stock and squid ink, and with an immersion blender (the quantity may be too small for normal blender), blend until smoothly pureed. Keep inside an air-tight jar in the fridge. Can be made up to 3 days ahead.
4. FOR EACH SERVING OF RAMEN (This is for a single serving of ramen!) : Twenty minutes before serving, preheat the oven to 210°F/100°C. Place 2 tablespoons of squid inked lard (you can also add this on top of the ramen at the very last for a more dramatic look) and 1 tablespoon of the Ramen Seasoning in each serving bowl, then place the bowls in the oven. It’s extremely crucial that the serving bowls be hot before serving.
5. Place 2 cups (480 mL) Chicken White Broth (per serving) inside a saucepan that’s deep enough to accommodate the immersion blender. Bring the broth to a boil over high heat and keep it at an active boil until it’s reduced to 1 1/2 cups (360 mL) per serving (so, by about one-fourth).
6. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat and have a sieve ready by the sink. If you're using my all-purpose ramen recipe, add the ramen and gently loosen the strands with chopsticks to keep them from clumping up. If the ramen is frozen, allow 30 seconds or so in the hot water for the strands to loosen before separating. Whether the ramen is fresh or frozen, it will briefly stop the water from boiling. When the water comes back to a boil, turn the heat to medium to keep the water from boiling over, and cook for 1 minute exactly. Do not estimate this; time it. If you're using store-bought ramen, cook it according to package instruction.
7. Meanwhile, Insert the immersion blender into the reduced Chicken White Broth (or use a normal blender) and give it several stern pulses, until the broth is emulsified and slightly foamy. Pour the broth into the serving bowls to mix with the seasonings.
8. Transfer the ramen to the sieve and rinse it under cold water for just a few seconds. The purpose of this is not to cool the noodles but to remove some of the starchy water and bring back the bounce. Drain the ramen thoroughly and place it in the serving bowls. Then top each serving with 3 very thin slices of char siu, soft boiled egg, toasted seaweed, fried garlic powder, finely minced onion, and helldust according to taste.

Notes