pork ramen with homemade veggie broth

- entreés -

so... it's been a long minute or two since i've posted a recipe here. in the meantime though, i've been keeping up with my instagram. from sushi to sheet pan pizzas. it's all been delicious. most of the recipes have been based on another person's recipe or are too simple or not original enough to call my own and put on here. this ramen, however, was pretty dang good and was my own creation. it does use instant ramen noodles, but it is not a particularly quick recipe. this being said, most of the time is hands off while the broth cooks. it's worth the wait.
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serves 4-5

INGREDIENTS

broth
6 oz shiitake mushrooms, sliced or torn apart
1 onion, quartered
3 carrots, cut into thirds
1/2 c basil
1/2 c soy sauce
1 tsp sesame oil
4 garlic cloves, smashed
1 3-inch piece of ginger, cut in half
1 heaping tbsp gochujang or sriracha (or to taste, this will result in a fairly spicy broth)
1.5 gallons of water
toppings
1 pork tenderloin
3 tbsp sambal oeleck or sriracha
1/2 c soy sauce
1/2 tsp sesame oil
1.5 tbsp ginger, grated
2 garlic cloves, grated
1 tsp onion powder
​4 tbsp canola oil
2 carrots, cut into matchsticks or diced
1 zucchini, cut the same as the carrots
scallions, thinly sliced on the bias
4-5 packs of instant ramen (it doesn't matter what flavor, you won't need the seasoning pack)
​4 eggs (or one per person if making a different number of bowls) 

DIRECTIONS

1. start the broth by combining all of the ingredients for it in a large pot. simmer on low for up to 4 hours or at least until reduced by half. the longer the broth simmers, the stronger the flavor will be. alternatively, you could make the broth in a slow cooker on low.
2. marinade the pork in the sambal oeleck, soy sauce, sesame oil, ginger, garlic, and onion powder for at least 2 hours and up to overnight.
3. cook the eggs. bring a large pot (that is wide enough for all of the eggs to sit at the bottom) of water to a boil and lower the eggs into the water gently. 
4. lower the heat maintaining the water at a gentle boil for 6 1/2 minutes.
5. remove the eggs and transfer to an ice bath. allow them to cool.
6. carefully remove the shells and cut in 1/2.
7. slice the pork into thin disks. preheat a wide pan with 2 tbsp canola oil on medium-high heat.
8. once the oil is hot, turn the heat down to medium and sear both sides of each pork slice, working in batches. be careful not to overcrowd the pan; the pork shouldn't overlap. cook approximately 2 mins a side, depending on your heat source and the thickness of your pork.
9. strain your broth by pouring it through a fine mesh sieve. return the broth to the pot on medium heat and cook the noodles in the broth (refer to the noodle packaging for the cook time).
10. remove your noodles to a bowl, place your pork, carrots, zucchini, scallions, and egg on top.
11. once all the noodles are cooked, ladle the broth on top and sprinkle the pork with sesame seeds (optional)