How do you make cooking ramen semi-regularly sustainable?
I absolutely loved the ramen I made (ramen lord tonkotsu) but the burnout keeps me away from approaching it again. What do you guys do?
by Dxxyx
18 Comments
EmielDeBil
I make big batches and freeze portions. Not sure what you mean with “the burnout”
RoyalWombat
Only make large batches of broth, and reduce it to as little volume as you can to save space in your freezer
eetsumkaus
The broth is the most time consuming, freeze that. Depending on if you want a more time consuming tare, you may want to batch those and freeze those ahead of time as well. Chashu also keeps well in the freezer.
Besides those, just buy noodles and veggies when you feel like having a bowl and you can whip one up right away!
Nahro1001
I am working from home so when I want some I can usually manage. Otherwhise freezing is an option – although my freezer is tiny
JyeJ237
I have held all the different tare types in my fridge for a year with no issue, aroma oil lasts months and you can freeze single portions of soup base.
Then all you need to do is make your toppings as needed. It’s an awesome meal prep dish imo
Monotask_Servitor
I make everything in large batches. Broth, tare, aroma oil, chashu. Eggs I generally make enough to last 3-4 days. Even negi I’ll often cut a few days worth and keep it in the fridge. That way when I actually go to make dinner it usually takes me about 1 minutes to throw a couple of bowls together.
masterflappie
I just don’t make it from scratch. Get some bouillon cubes, gelatine, ginger and miso and you have a broth going in half an hour. I get some instant ramen without flavouring, 6 minute boiled eggs, some blanched veggies and whatever meat I have in the fridge.
It might not be as good, but I’m not a restaurant, I just want decent dinner that doesn’t take too long to make
viszlat
Get a large pressure cooker vessel and a simple induction cooktop. That will make the broth a simpler, faster process that uses less energy and prices less heat. I use a 4.5gallon vessel.
Have everything to hand and you can rustle up a bowl of ramen in minutes including homemade noodles. Three of those ingredients are out of the freezer – chicken meat, frozen chicken stock, frozen chilli juice. Three are out of the fridge – black bean chilli oil, chilli pepper paste, gochujjang, and three are out of the spice tray – Szechuan pepper, black pepper, msg. It’s just a matter of throwing the ingredients into a pan and adding water.
YourNonExistentGirl
When I went crazy for ramen some time ago, I prepped once a month. Froze broth, tare, aroma oil in silicon cube trays. And a whole chashu roll. Knife always razor sharp. I made ajitama every 2 days, replacing what I ate. I’m growing my own spring onions/negi on my balcony, they last virtually forever. As for menma and beni shoga, I got them in bulk (2lbs each) and stored them in medium-sized jars. Soaking dried wood ear mushrooms in hot water is the first thing I do if I want a bowl.
The noodles, I just bought them from a Japanese store near me. That’s the most labour intensive part, but I suck at noodle-doodling anyway. This one I’m confident you can skip making from scratch. Also get a culinary torch if you don’t have one yet. Zero to hero in 15-20 minutes.
I also think mise en place is critical. That might shave so much time off your prep day.
rojovelasco
For me is all about compromise. Not everything needs to be perfect or proper.
You can exchange Chasu for simple seared pork belly or a good beef steak.
The broth doesn’t need to be canonical Tonkotsu yo make tasty ramen. It can be a simple chicken stock made from leftover bones.
Dry noodles vs freshly made ones, etc
Ramen is a concept more than an specific recipe
Snake_Plizken
I usually do one massive ramen effort, and make it ambitious. Then I freeze in the stock in 2 portion sizes. After that I just make less ambitious ramen, with fewer toppings, usually just eggs, and mushrooms, maybe some bacon, and ready made broth…
JeanVicquemare
When I make ramen I make about 6 portions worth of everything. More of the broth, usually, and freeze it.
So, it’s a lot of work, yes. But, then I have homemade ramen for a while.
yumeryuu
I make batches of 90 servings…
ch0w0
i make a huge batch of tare and freeze it, then can spoon it out as needed over time
Toubaboliviano
Cartilage, immersion blender, instant pot, giant soup cube trays for storage, vacuum seal protein, accept less than stellar eggs… and um that’s it so far
lambd10
Generally I make large batches, reduce and freeze. Lately I have had a method similar to a “hunters pot” that I simmer every couple days and add scraps and bones to as long as they’ll work for the flavor profile of the broth.
JemmaMimic
We buy bottles of Yamasa Tonkotsu broth and use them, that’s how.
18 Comments
I make big batches and freeze portions. Not sure what you mean with “the burnout”
Only make large batches of broth, and reduce it to as little volume as you can to save space in your freezer
The broth is the most time consuming, freeze that. Depending on if you want a more time consuming tare, you may want to batch those and freeze those ahead of time as well. Chashu also keeps well in the freezer.
Besides those, just buy noodles and veggies when you feel like having a bowl and you can whip one up right away!
I am working from home so when I want some I can usually manage. Otherwhise freezing is an option – although my freezer is tiny
I have held all the different tare types in my fridge for a year with no issue, aroma oil lasts months and you can freeze single portions of soup base.
Then all you need to do is make your toppings as needed. It’s an awesome meal prep dish imo
I make everything in large batches. Broth, tare, aroma oil, chashu. Eggs I generally make enough to last 3-4 days. Even negi I’ll often cut a few days worth and keep it in the fridge. That way when I actually go to make dinner it usually takes me about 1 minutes to throw a couple of bowls together.
I just don’t make it from scratch. Get some bouillon cubes, gelatine, ginger and miso and you have a broth going in half an hour. I get some instant ramen without flavouring, 6 minute boiled eggs, some blanched veggies and whatever meat I have in the fridge.
It might not be as good, but I’m not a restaurant, I just want decent dinner that doesn’t take too long to make
Get a large pressure cooker vessel and a simple induction cooktop. That will make the broth a simpler, faster process that uses less energy and prices less heat. I use a 4.5gallon vessel.
https://preview.redd.it/6r7fx5eowfbf1.jpeg?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=af7c2390fba293a9e90923f46bc0d4ec0e7cab18
Have everything to hand and you can rustle up a bowl of ramen in minutes including homemade noodles. Three of those ingredients are out of the freezer – chicken meat, frozen chicken stock, frozen chilli juice. Three are out of the fridge – black bean chilli oil, chilli pepper paste, gochujjang, and three are out of the spice tray – Szechuan pepper, black pepper, msg. It’s just a matter of throwing the ingredients into a pan and adding water.
When I went crazy for ramen some time ago, I prepped once a month. Froze broth, tare, aroma oil in silicon cube trays. And a whole chashu roll. Knife always razor sharp. I made ajitama every 2 days, replacing what I ate. I’m growing my own spring onions/negi on my balcony, they last virtually forever. As for menma and beni shoga, I got them in bulk (2lbs each) and stored them in medium-sized jars. Soaking dried wood ear mushrooms in hot water is the first thing I do if I want a bowl.
The noodles, I just bought them from a Japanese store near me. That’s the most labour intensive part, but I suck at noodle-doodling anyway. This one I’m confident you can skip making from scratch. Also get a culinary torch if you don’t have one yet. Zero to hero in 15-20 minutes.
I also think mise en place is critical. That might shave so much time off your prep day.
For me is all about compromise. Not everything needs to be perfect or proper.
You can exchange Chasu for simple seared pork belly or a good beef steak.
The broth doesn’t need to be canonical Tonkotsu yo make tasty ramen. It can be a simple chicken stock made from leftover bones.
Dry noodles vs freshly made ones, etc
Ramen is a concept more than an specific recipe
I usually do one massive ramen effort, and make it ambitious. Then I freeze in the stock in 2 portion sizes. After that I just make less ambitious ramen, with fewer toppings, usually just eggs, and mushrooms, maybe some bacon, and ready made broth…
When I make ramen I make about 6 portions worth of everything. More of the broth, usually, and freeze it.
So, it’s a lot of work, yes. But, then I have homemade ramen for a while.
I make batches of 90 servings…
i make a huge batch of tare and freeze it, then can spoon it out as needed over time
Cartilage, immersion blender, instant pot, giant soup cube trays for storage, vacuum seal protein, accept less than stellar eggs… and um that’s it so far
Generally I make large batches, reduce and freeze. Lately I have had a method similar to a “hunters pot” that I simmer every couple days and add scraps and bones to as long as they’ll work for the flavor profile of the broth.
We buy bottles of Yamasa Tonkotsu broth and use them, that’s how.