Shoyu Ramen

Instructions

1. Roll the 60 g of pork belly into a tight cylinder and tie it at 2 cm intervals with kitchen string. Put it in a small saucepan with 2 tbsp of soy sauce, 1 tbsp of mirin, 1 tbsp of sake, 1 tsp of caster sugar, 1 clove of crushed garlic, 10 g of sliced ginger and the green part of 1 spring onion, then add just enough water to cover. Bring to a bare simmer, lid ajar, and cook on the lowest heat for 50 minutes, turning once, until a skewer slides through with no resistance. Leave it to cool in its liquid.
2. Lower 1 fridge-cold egg into boiling water and cook exactly 6 minutes 30 seconds for a jammy yolk, then chill it in iced water for 2 minutes and peel carefully. Spoon 2 tablespoons of the cooled pork braising liquid into a small bag or cup with the egg and leave it to marinate for at least 2 hours, or overnight, turning it once.
3. Put 350 ml of chicken stock in a saucepan with 3 g of kombu and 1 dried shiitake and leave to steep off the heat for 30 minutes. Bring it slowly to about 80C, small bubbles at the edge only, and lift out the kombu before it boils, or the broth turns slimy and bitter. Simmer 10 minutes more, remove the shiitake, and season with a pinch of white pepper. Keep it just below the boil.