Well, this recipe is somewhat embarrassing. I tested it out at night for dinner and it worked fabulously – seriously, probably my best “ramen” yet (and I’ve made this miso mushroom zucchini noodle ramen which I’m obsessed with!)
The next morning, I went to recreate it and I realized that I had everything but the pork tenderloin, since I had used it the night before. It was too late to run out to the grocery store (girl’s been busy – stay tuned!!) and I had no backup ingredients for other recipes.
So, what did I do? Defrost some boneless pork chops I had in the freezer.
Long story short: the recipe calls for pork tenderloin (because that’s how I originally made the recipe), but you’ll see some pork chops here in the pictures.
I’m so bummed, because the BBQ pork tenderloin is so much more moist and absorbed the marinade much more beautifully, but, heck, beggars can’t be choosers – and the most important part is the recipe, which is flawless!
Speaking of flawless (this is a forced segue), I saw Aladdin last night with my mother and my sister. My mother is home for the week (up from Florida, where she stays December – March with my dad), and we decided to go to a show.
I don’t know if I’d recommend Aladdin if you’re not into Disney movies, because it’s very Disney-esque BUT I will say, the genie put on an incredible performance, as did the evil sultan’s henchman (he was seriously the funniest actor I’ve ever seen!)
The set design was beautiful, the wardrobe was exotically stunning and the music was, well, perfect – keep in mind, I’m a big Disney movie fan (I blame it on being born in 1987 and grew up watching all the classics – on VHS.)
Back to my “flawless” comment – princess Jasmine had a gorgeous voice and her face was amazing – she really looked like a princess, it was incredible!
Anyway, let’s get to the ramen: the BBQ pork steals the show, because of its marinade: it’s crucial that you give the meat at least 2 hours to soak in the marinade and if you have the time, soak it overnight.
The turnip noodles absorb the flavors of the simple broth (just chicken stock + soy sauce + flavorings from scallions, garlic and ginger) while the snap peas and mushrooms give it a bit more oomph. This bowl of ramen is fun to eat, filling and won’t leave you feeling like you do when you drag yourself out of a Japanese restaurant, after a huge bowl of it.
I call this “ramen” basically because it’s traditionally a type of noodle that’s served in a meat or fish broth with soy sauce or miso paste. So, the broth is ramen-esque, but the noodles are of course, spiralized vegetables instead of its carb-laden original.
Feel free to add any other toppings to this, as there’s no right or wrong way to build your ramen noodle bowl – try seaweed, corn, bok choy or even spinach!
What’s your favorite type of ramen?
Nutritional Information & Recipe
BBQ Pork Turnip Noodle “Ramen” for Two
Ingredients
- For the pork:
- 1 large garlic clove minced
- 1/2 inch fresh ginger
- 1 scallion diced
- ½ pound pork tenderloin ask butcher
- 2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
- 1.5 tablespoons dry sherry
- 1/4 teaspoon Chinese Five-Spice
- 1/2 tablespoon honey
- For the ramen:
- 3 scallions diced + 1 scallion diced for garnish
- 1 inch piece of ginger peeled and minced
- 2 garlic cloves halved
- ½ tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 4 cups chicken stock
- 1 large egg
- 1.5 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
- 1.5 oz champignon mushrooms
- 2-2.5 oz snap peas
- 1 large turnip or 2 medium turnips Blade C, noodles trimmed
- 1 medium carrot peeled, Blade C, noodles trimmed
- cilantro leaves to garnish
Instructions
- In a Ziploc bag or shallow dish, mix the garlic, ginger, green onions, soy sauce, sherry, Chinese Five-Spice, ½ tablespoon of the honey, and pork. Seal the bag or cover the pan and marinate, refrigerated for at least 2 hours. Shake the bag to mix up the marinade occasionally.
- Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Place a cast iron skillet (or oven-safe skillet) into the oven as you set it to preheat to heat for about 15 minutes. Once heated, remove with oven mitts and add in the pork, place back in the oven and let cook for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven, baste with any pan juices and then let cook for another 10-15 minutes. The pork is done when the internal temperature is 140-145 degrees. Remove from the oven, tent with foil and let rest for a least 10 minutes before you slice it thinly.
- While pork roasts, hard boil the eggs: in a small pot, add in the eggs and cover with about ½-1” of water and bring to a boil. Once boiling, cover and let cook for 12 minutes. Run under cold water gently and then once ready to handle, peel eggs and halve.
- While pork roasts and eggs boil, place a large pot over medium-high heat and add in olive oil. Once heated, add in the scallions, ginger and garlic and cook for 1 minute or until fragrant. Then, pour in the chicken stock, cover and bring to the boil, then simmer, covered for about 10 minutes. Then, add in the soy sauce and mushrooms, letting cook for 1-2 minutes. Then, add the snap peas and turnip noodles and cook for 2-3 more minutes or until noodles are cooked to al dente or your preference.
- Using pasta tongs, carefully transfer the noodles to two serving bowls and ladle over with the broth mixture. Top with the sliced barbecue pork and half an egg each. Garnish with carrot noodles and then cilantro, if desired.
comments