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Smoked Pork Belly Ramen

Built from the bottom up. Deep, layered, and worth every minute.
This bowl was born from leftover pork belly from our Banh Mi cook, but it works beautifully with any leftover smoked meat. Brisket, pulled pork, even smoked chicken. The key is building flavor in layers — tare first, then broth, then assembly.

Ingredients

Tare (Seasoning Base)

  • ⅔ cup Kikkoman soy sauce
  • 3 tbsp mirin Wan Ja Shan
  • ¼ cup cooking sake
  • 1 tbsp shiro miso not more
  • 1 small strip kombu about 2x2 inches
  • ¼ cup bonito flakes
  • ¾ tsp white pepper
  • 1 tsp freshly grated ginger
  • 1 smashed garlic clove
  • 1 –2 tsp rice vinegar to finish

Pork Broth

  • 6 lbs pork neck bones
  • ½ lb dried shiitake mushrooms
  • Water enough to fully cover bones

Instructions

Make the Tare

  • In a saucepan, combine the soy sauce, mirin, and sake.
  • Add the kombu and slowly bring the mixture to a gentle simmer.
  • As soon as you see small bubbles forming, turn off the heat.
  • Add the bonito flakes and let steep for 5 minutes.
  • Strain through a fine mesh strainer and return the liquid to the pan.
  • Add ginger, white pepper, smashed garlic, and shiro miso.
  • Simmer gently until fragrant — do not boil aggressively.
  • Strain again and finish with rice vinegar.
  • Taste it. Adjust if needed. If you prefer more salt, add a splash of soy. This is a base recipe — make it your own.
  • Let the tare cool and store in the refrigerator. It improves after a day or two.

Build the Broth

  • Place pork neck bones in a large stock pot and cover completely with water.
  • Bring to a boil and let it cook until the water becomes foamy and cloudy.
  • Turn off the heat and pour everything into a strainer.
  • Rinse the bones thoroughly under cold water to remove impurities.
  • This step is critical. It’s what gives you a clean, rich broth instead of something muddy.
  • Return the cleaned bones to the pot.
  • Add dried shiitake mushrooms.
  • Cover with fresh water.
  • Bring to a low rolling boil and maintain for 12 hours.
  • You want movement — not a hard boil — just steady agitation to develop that cloudy pork broth ramen is known for.
  • Strain and store in an airtight container.
  • Like the tare, the broth benefits from resting a day or two in the refrigerator.

Assemble the Bowl

  • Bring broth back to a simmer.
  • Cook ramen noodles according to package instructions.
  • Add 1–2 tablespoons of tare to the bottom of each bowl.
  • Add noodles.
  • Pour hot broth over the top.
  • Layer in sliced smoked pork belly.
  • Add a soft-boiled egg, seaweed, and any additional toppings.

Notes

Pat yourself on the back.
You just built a deeply authentic bowl of ramen in your own kitchen using leftovers most people would overlook.