Sweet and Sour Pork Ramen
A Special Dish Made from Leftover Sweet and Sour Pork! Super Simple Recipe for Kang Ho-dong’s Sweet and Sour Pork Ramen from ‘Kang’s Kitchen’
This is a unique dish I often make when I have leftover sweet and sour pork from Chinese restaurants. When I have leftovers, I usually make either La-Jiao Pork or this Sweet and Sour Pork Ramen, and both are so delicious that I sometimes intentionally leave some sweet and sour pork behind just to make these dishes. Reheating leftover sweet and sour pork doesn’t quite bring back its original flavor, but making it into this ramen perfectly revives its taste. This menu became even more popular after Chef Baek Jong-won taught it to Kang Ho-dong on ‘Kang’s Kitchen’! Now, don’t throw away your leftover sweet and sour pork; transform it into this simple yet delicious ramen!
Ingredients- Leftover sweet and sour pork, as needed
- 1 pack of ramen noodles
- 1/4 onion (about 1 soju cup)
- 1/4 green onion (about 1 soju cup)
- 0.5 soju cup minced garlic
- 1 Cheongyang pepper
- 1 egg
- 0.7 soju cup red pepper flakes (about 3 Tbsp)
- Cooking oil, as needed
Cooking Instructions
Step 1
In ‘Kang’s Kitchen,’ they sometimes made sweet and sour pork from scratch to use in their dishes. Haha. But I used my leftovers. I had leftover sweet and sour pork after making La-Jiao Pork, which I saved for this Sweet and Sour Pork Ramen! (I’ll share the La-Jiao Pork recipe soon too :)) I used this much sweet and sour pork for the ramen. The fried coating will soak up the broth, making it even more delicious.
Step 2
Now, let’s make the seasoning base, the heart of Kang Ho-dong’s Sweet and Sour Pork Ramen from ‘Kang’s Kitchen.’ Finely chop the onion and green onion. The golden ratio for the seasoning is: Onion : Green Onion : Minced Garlic = 1 : 1 : 0.5. Since I’m making a single serving, I used 1 soju cup of onion, 1 soju cup of green onion, and 0.5 soju cup of minced garlic according to this ratio. Feel free to adjust the amount of garlic to your preference.
Step 3
Next, prepare about 0.7 soju cup (approximately 3 Tbsp) of red pepper flakes. In ‘Kang’s Kitchen,’ they used 2 cups of red pepper flakes for a much spicier version, so you can adjust this amount to your liking.
Step 4
In a pan, add the chopped onion, chopped green onion, and minced garlic. Pour in a generous amount of cooking oil. ‘Kang’s Kitchen’ reportedly used about 4 ladles of oil, but I added enough oil to lightly coat the ingredients. Sauté over medium-low heat until the ingredients become translucent and fragrant. The onions and green onions will sweeten as they cook.
Step 5
Once the garlic aroma starts to rise, add the prepared red pepper flakes and stir-fry quickly. Red pepper flakes can burn easily, so reduce the heat to low and stir-fry for about 30 seconds, being careful not to let it burn. The ‘Kang’s Kitchen’ broadcast showed them adding some spices at this stage, which seemed to enhance the umami. (e.g., something like Dasida). However, I opted for a simpler version without extra spices.
Step 6
After stir-frying everything well, the delicious-looking seasoning base for the Sweet and Sour Pork Ramen is complete! It looks appetizing just by looking at it. Set the finished seasoning base aside for now.
Step 7
Now, it’s time to cook the ramen noodles. A special tip for Sweet and Sour Pork Ramen is to add a bit more water than you would for regular ramen. Add 700ml of water per ramen pack to the pot and bring it to a boil. Before the water boils, it’s convenient to chop any additional vegetables you’d like to add. I skipped the cabbage as I didn’t have any, and I also omitted extra green onions since I used some in the seasoning. However, I chopped 1 Cheongyang pepper for a touch of spiciness.
Step 8
When the water comes to a rolling boil, add the ramen soup base (powdered soup) and the dried vegetable flakes. I used Shin Ramyun for its spicy kick, which I thought would complement the sweet and sour pork. You can use your favorite brand of ramen.
Step 9
Next, add the ramen noodles. I used one pack. (If you prepared cabbage or other vegetables, adding them now will enrich the broth’s flavor.)
Step 10
Finally, add the prepared Sweet and Sour Pork Ramen seasoning base to season the broth. I found that adding 2 spoonfuls gave it the perfect taste for me. Tasting the broth, it’s truly delicious! The program highlighted how incredibly tasty this seasoning base alone is, even without the sweet and sour pork. It’s a real delicacy.
Step 11
When the ramen is about 80% cooked, add the sweet and sour pork pieces. The fried coating will soften in the broth, and the delicious sauce from the sweet and sour pork will infuse the broth, creating a richer flavor.
Step 12
Once the noodles are almost done, gently pour in the beaten egg over the ramen. Finally, garnish with the chopped Cheongyang pepper for a beautiful finish. (If you are adding green onions, you can sprinkle them on top at this stage for a fresh aroma.)
Step 13
Voila! Chef Baek Jong-won’s Kang Ho-dong-style Sweet and Sour Pork Ramen is ready! Honestly, even without the sweet and sour pork, the ramen seasoned with just this base is incredibly delicious. However, adding the sweet and sour pork makes the broth richer and enhances the flavor of the pork itself. It tastes like a gourmet dish, far from an ordinary ramen. It’s perfect for a hangover cure or as a side dish with drinks. ‘Kang’s Kitchen’ even named this dish ‘Jeju Many Pork Ramen.’ So next time you have leftover sweet and sour pork, don’t just reheat it or throw it away – try making this fantastic Sweet and Sour Pork Ramen!
