Pork Belly Kimchi Ramen Recipe

For this ramen recipe, you'll need thick bacon, gochujang, rice wine, and minced garlic cloves. Next, get shiitake mushrooms (de-stemmed), baby bok choy (halved), butter, and kimchi. Watkins notes, "Some kimchi may be spicier than others," and advises, "adjust the amount you add to your broth as needed and based on your preference." You could even make an easy homemade kimchi from scratch.

Get chicken or vegetable broth, soy sauce, sesame oil, fish sauce, packaged ramen noodles (cooked without the seasoning), and hard-boiled eggs (peeled and halved). The perfect hard-boiled egg might feel elusive, but Watkins' technique is straightforward. "My trick is the 6 minute 30 seconds hard boil," she says. "I wait until my water is at a rolling boil (high heat) before adding my eggs. And, once the timer goes 'ding' I immediately submerge my eggs in ice water and let them hang for 15-plus minutes (in their icy bath) before peeling." 

To garnish the bowl, cut scallions into thin two-inch pieces. Watkins instructs, "Trim your scallions (remove the rooted ends and any sagging tops) and cut into one- to two-inch sections. Halve the white to light-green sections lengthwise ... then thinly slice/chop (again, lengthwise), creating thin, stringy pieces." If you want to take it up a notch, she recommends dropping them in an ice bath so the ends curl. Finish off the dish with black and white sesame seeds. 

Brush the bacon (both sides) with the mixture and place in the oven. Reserve remaining sauce.

Transfer cooked bacon to a plate, leaving as much of the pan drippings on the baking sheet as possible. Set the bacon aside.

Roast the veggies for 12 to 15 minutes, flipping halfway through, until tender and lightly charred. Remove from the oven and set aside.

Add the kimchi and remaining sauce mixture to the pot, stir to combine, and cook for 2 minutes.

Divide the bacon, mushrooms, bok choy, hard boiled eggs, scallions, and sesame seeds between the bowls and serve immediately.

"Ramen, unfortunately, is best prepared and eaten ASAP," Watkins says — which shouldn't be hard to do with this delicious recipe. Customize the portion size if necessary to avoid ending up with leftovers that won't keep well. That said, if you want to incorporate this recipe into your weekly meal routine, Watkins suggests, "You can prep the broth and goch-sauce ahead of time to save on some day-of prep." Just be sure to seal them in airtight containers and keep refrigerated before using. 

About the bacon, you may want to follow Watkins' advice when she says, "Double that batch (if you are a bacon aficionado, like myself) this bacon slaps!" Although you might also eat it all at once, it will keep fine in the refrigerator for a few days too. Reheat it in the oven or toaster oven and you can easily add it to your ramen bowl. For any extra bacon, Watkins' favorite ways to use it include on avocado toast, in grilled cheeses and BLTs, and as a "perfect side for scrambles." With these savory combinations, you'll achieve what Watkins calls "endless bacon bliss."