Dinner Tonight: Momofuku Ramen
I’ve been cooking out of David Chang’s Momofuku cookbook for about a year, so it was finally time to break down and try the ramen. I’d held out because it’s a pretty daunting undertaking.
There’s a shredded pork shoulder. Roasted pork belly. A chicken stock made from pounds of chicken necks and backs. A Japanese barbecue sauce called “tare” made from another chicken back and a third of a pound of bacon. A sous vide egg. A thousand possible garnishes and embellishments. And I didn’t even TRY to make my noodles from scratch.
The end result is fantastic, but holy hell is it a lot of work. Not hard work, certainly, but a multi-day affair that will claim most of the pots in your kitchen at one time or another. I have a definite appreciation for single-focus ramen shops. The work and care that goes into truly exceptional ramen is easily enough to occupy a kitchen.
Also, one clear reason that everything Chang does tastes so good is that it’s all just bathing in fat. My kitchen is coated in this patina of schmaltz, pork fat and bacon grease.
In no way should you construe that in a pejorative sense.
Challenge Accepted!
