Disclaimer: This is a sponsored post in collaboration with Bord Bia
When I lived in France one of my favourite food related sayings was ‘Tout est bon dans le cochon’ which translates as ‘Every part of the pig is good’. I’ve always agreed with it and tried many different pork cuts and dishes over the years. I also love that some Irish restaurants embrace the ‘nose to tail’ approach for more adventurous things that I wouldn’t cook myself at home.
I’m delighted to take part in Bord Bia’s #PorkNight challenge during their campaign which encourages the Irish nation to eat more quality assured pork. I buy pork meat at my local butcher quite often as it’s good value and delicious and I tend to cook with pork mince, pork belly or pork fillet.
As part of the #PorkNight challenge I’m sharing this slow cooked pork ramen recipe, which calls for pork shoulder. Obviously it’s not an authentic Japanese ramen but it’s a super easy adaption of one, a great comfort food dish full of flavours. Make sure to let me know if you try it!
You can find this recipe and more pork inspiration recipes on Bord Bia’s website www.bordbia.ie/qualitypork.
‘Always look for the Bord Bia Quality Mark on pork so that you know it has been produced to the highest Bord Bia quality standards and where it comes from.’
Recipe: Slow Cooked Pork Ramen
You can cook this in the oven if you don’t have a slow cooker. Just place all the ingredients in an ovenproof casserole dish, cover and cook at Gas Mark 3, 160°C (325°F) for two hours.
Serves 6
Time: Slow Cooker – 7 hours
Oven - 21⁄2 hours
Ingredients:
1kg lean, boneless pork shoulder, cut into 4 equal pieces
2 tbs. rapeseed or olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 large onion, coarsely chopped
4 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped
5cm piece ginger, peeled and chopped
1 ltr. homemade or low salt chicken stock
1 leek, halved lengthwise and coarsely chopped
100g button mushrooms, brushed clean and coarsely chopped
3 tbs. soy sauce
1-2 tbs. Sriracha or other hot sauce, to taste
6 large eggs
250g ramen or udon noodles
4 scallions, finely chopped
1 tbs. sesame seeds, lightly toasted
Method
Heat a tablespoon of oil in a frying pan over a high heat. Season the pork with a little salt and black pepper. Brown the pork in batches then transfer it to the slow cooker. Reduce the heat to medium and add the onion, garlic and ginger to the frying pan. Cook for about five minutes until softened. Stir in about 200mls of the stock. Bring to the boil, stirring and scraping up any brown bits from the pan. Transfer to the slow cooker.
Add the leek, mushrooms and remaining 800mls of stock to the slow cooker. Stir to combine. Cover and cook on the high-heat setting for 6 hours. The pork should be very tender at this stage.
When the pork is cooked transfer it to a cutting board. Using 2 forks, break the pork into bite-sized chunks, removing and discarding any fat. Strain the broth through a fine sieve. Discard the solids. Return the pork and broth to the slow cooker and season to taste with soy sauce and hot sauce. Cover and cook on the low-heat setting for about 30 minutes to warm through.
Place the eggs in a saucepan of cold water. Bring to the boil then reduce to simmer. Cook for 5 minutes for soft centre. Allow an extra 2 minutes for hard boiled eggs. Run under cold water to cool the eggs, peel and set aside. Cook the noodles as per the packet instructions.
To serve: Divide the noodles evenly between individual bowls. Add the pork and broth to the bowls then sprinkle over the scallions, add the halved eggs, drizzle over a little hot sauce and sprinkle on the sesame seeds. Serve immediately.