Bacon and Egg Breakfast Ramen

• 1 tablespoon oil
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon chili flakes
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon mirin
• 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
• 1 tablespoon sesame oil
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon dashi granules
• 1 portion thick ramen noodles
• 3 slices pork belly (see below) or crispy bacon
• 1 slow poached egg

seaweed strips

sliced green onions

katsuobushi

toasted black sesame seeds

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serves 3-4

• 1 tablespoon light Japanese soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon mirin
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• 1 lb skin-off piece pork belly

1. Heat up 1 tablespoon of oil in a small pan over medium-low heat. Add the garlic and chili flakes and cook, stirring, until the mixture heats up and sizzles, about 1-2 minutes. Do not burn – since this is a small amount, keep the heat low. You want the garlic mellow and the chili flakes to just release their spice. Remove from the pan and set aside to cool.
2. Mix together the soy dressing together in a small bowl. Set aside.
3. Cook the noodles according to the package and drain well. Toss with the soy dressing, to taste. Place the noodles in a shallow bowl and top with pork belly and a poached egg. Garnish with seaweed strips, green onions, katsuobushi, and toasted black sesame seeds. Serve with a generous amount of chili oil. Mix and enjoy!
4. Mix together the soy sauce, mirin and sugar until sugar is dissolved. Add the mix to a vacuum bag with the pork belly. Fill a large heat-proof container with water and set your sous vide machine to 160°F. Sous vide for minimum 6 hours. Chill, in the bag, overnight for ease of handling.
5. The next day, remove the pork from the bag. Gently wipe off any excess moisture. Sear the top of the pork in a non-stick pan over low heat until deeply browned – you probably won’t need any oil, but if you want to speed up the process feel free to add a touch of oil. Remove from heat and cut into 1/4 in slices. Sear the slices the non-stick pan until golden, 2-3 minutes per side.