Easy Pork Ramen

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This Easy Pork Ramen is unlike any ramen you had in your college days! Thinly sliced, perfectly cooked, juicy pork tenderloin and an egg with a gloriously runny egg yolk, crunchy Asian greens, and flavorful mushrooms, all swimming in a scrumptious and flavor-packed ramen noodle broth. All in less than 30 minutes! 

A quick and easy meal that’s big on flavor is every cook’s goal. One that can please the whole family, and is a constant favorite is the dream. Lately, my dinner preparations have taken a hit because I’ve been insanely busy with my cookbook that I’ve been working on, so there’s been an even bigger emphasis on easy dinners.

Ramen noodles are synonymous with quick, easy meals. But I’m not particularly fond of using those flavoring/seasoning packets that they come with. This is where Smithfield Marinated Fresh Pork comes into the picture! Mr K loves the ramen and pork combination, and this Easy Pork Ramen  is one of my go-to meals when I’m short on time and it NEVER disappoints.

Since Smithfield Marinated Fresh Pork is already marinated, it’s packed with flavor and shaves off a lot of time from your prep work. I like using Smithfield Roasted Garlic and Cracked Black Pepper Tenderloin, because garlic and black pepper pair really well with the Asian flavors in this easy pork ramen bowl. Plus, it adds an amazing smoky flavor to the dish. It also helps that the pork loin cooks quickly (30 – 40 minutes, depending on the weight of the pork loin). So you can simply cook your noodles with your favorite broth and vegetables, and you have one flavor-packed meal ready to be served by the time the pork is cooked in the oven.

Another trick to make this dish even more scrumptious is to start with store-bought broth and then up the ante with lots of flavor. I use organic, salt reduced broth and add garlic, ginger, pepper, chili flakes and soy sauce, and since the mushrooms are also cooked in the broth here, they also add a delightful umami flavor to it. No one will guess that it’s all been cooked in under 30 minutes!

The greens are also cooked in the broth here. I just place them in the hot broth for just a few minutes, and not any longer because I want my greens to stay wonderfully crunchy. I used shiitake mushrooms for this easy pork ramen bowl, because that’s my favorite, but I have also added some enoki mushrooms. But you can use any kind you like, of course. You can even use dried shiitake mushroom, which is easier to find. And since all of this is cooked at the end IN the broth, you don’t have to worry about using separate pans either. However, the one thing I do cook separately is the eggs. While the egg is optional, I do like serving eggs with my easy pork ramen – mostly for that golden, runny egg yolk! That yolk adds a wonderful richness and texture to the broth that we both love.

This is unlike any ramen you had in your college days, I guarantee it! 🙂 It’s an upgraded version that’s packed with zesty flavor, better than anything you could make with those seasoning packets. And it’s better for your family too. I always have a few different flavors of Smithfield Marinated Fresh Pork in my freezer, precisely for meals like this. With 6 flavors to choose from, there’s quite a bit of variety you can add to your meals.

And the great thing about this easy pork ramen bowl was that we had plenty of pork leftovers for the next day too. I love thinly slicing the leftover pork and making sandwiches with it, or adding it to rice and making a quick fried rice for lunch or dinner.

Between writing, baking and photographing dozens and dozens of cakes for the cookbook, I haven’t had time to plan elaborate meals, but I need not have worried. This easy pork ramen bowl is an absolute home run!

Easy Pork Ramen

Course: Lunch, Main Course

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 45 minutes

Author: Dini from The Flavor Bender

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Ingredients

Pork

• 1 package of Smithfield Roasted Garlic and Cracked Black Pepper Tenderloin about 1.5 - 2 lbs; there will be leftovers

Spice mix, if you use pork loin without a marinade.

• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tsp Salt
• 1 tbsp freshly cracked black pepper please use less, if you don't like spicy food

Ramen Noodles

• 2 packets of dried ramen noodles
• 4 cups of beef or chicken broth reduced salt
• 1 - 2 slices of ginger
• 2 - 3 garlic cloves
• 2 spring onions cut into large sections
• ½ tbsp chili flakes crushed red pepper (please be mindful about adjusting spice level to your preference, this was fairly mild for us)
• 1 ½ tsp black peppercorns either whole or grind them in a spice mill
• 1 - 2 tbsp soy sauce add to your taste
• 115 g / 4 oz of shiitakes mushrooms sliced (or about 10 dried shiitake mushrooms, soaked in warm water and sliced)
• 2 - 4 stalks of Chinese greens like baby bok choy or yu choy
• Enoki mushrooms optional
• Extra chopped spring onions to garnish

Half Boiled Eggs

• 2 eggs

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Pork

1. If you don't have access to Smithfield, you can marinade the pork yourself. 
   Sprinkle the pork loin with salt and pepper generously. Mix the minced garlic with 3 tbsp oil to form a paste and rub it all over the pork tenderloin. Cover and marinade for at least 1 hour - overnight (in the fridge)

2. Preheat oven to 350°F / 180°C.
3. When the oven is preheated, roast the pork tenderloin according to package instructions. (I cooked until the internal temperature registered at 160°F with a meat thermometer - which took about 30 minutes for the 1.8 lb piece of tenderloin).
4. Once it’s cooked, remove from the oven, cover and let it rest for about 10 minutes before slicing.

Eggs

1. Bring a pot of water to a boil (with enough water to completely cover the eggs).
2. Add some salt or vinegar to the water. Lower the eggs into the water gently. To prevent the eggs from cracking, remove the pan from the heat, and lower the eggs when there is no bubbling. Once the eggs are in the pot, return it back to the stove.
3. Reduce the heat to a simmer, and let the eggs cook for exactly 6 minutes (set a timer).
4. When the 6 minutes are up, remove the eggs and place them in a bowl with iced water OR under cold running water for a few minutes.
5. Crack and remove the egg shell carefully. Keep the eggs covered until you are ready to serve.

Ramen Noodles

1. Place all the ingredients except for the ramen noodles, mushrooms, Asian greens and chopped spring onions, in a pot.
2. Bring the stock to a boil over medium high heat. Cover and let it simmer on medium - medium low heat for about 15 - 20 minutes.
3. Once the pork is cooked and ready to be sliced, you can remove the garlic cloves, ginger and spring onions from the broth if you want (we like to eat it all). Add the greens and blanch quickly for 1-2 minutes in the simmering water. Remove the greens and set aside.
4. Add the ramen noodles, and sliced shiitake mushrooms and let it simmer for 3 - 5 minutes until the noodles are done.

Assembly

1. Slice the pork tenderloin into thin slices.
2. Divide the ramen noodles and broth into two bowls.
3. Add the enoki mushrooms and blanched greens over the hot broth, followed by the pork slices, soft boiled egg, cut in half and the chopped spring onions. Enjoy!

Even better – you can roast, grill or sautée Smithfield Marinated Fresh Pork for a variety of quick and easy meal solutions. From roasts, to salads to stir fries – we have used it for carnitas, curries, an even simple pork chops for wholesome meals that are never short on flavor. Head on over to your local Walmart to get Smithfield Marinated Fresh Pork in the pork section of the meat aisle.

And if you use the Ibotta app on your phone, you can take advantage of this great coupon too.

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