Tantanmen Spicy Sesame Ramen

Step 1

Mince the ginger into pieces smaller than a grain of rice—about the size of a pencil tip—by slicing it thinly lengthwise, rotating, and slicing crosswise until fully broken down.

Step 2

Mince the garlic cloves the same way: slice thin, rotate, slice crosswise until pieces are pencil-tip small, about three cloves per batch.

Step 3

Chop the scallions by slicing them crosswise into thin rings, about 1/8 inch thick, keeping white and light-green parts separate from dark-green tops.

Step 4

Pour 4 cups of broth into a large pot and place it over medium-high heat until steam rises steadily from the surface, about 5–6 minutes.

Step 5

While the broth heats, place the sesame paste into a small bowl and add 3 tablespoons of the hot broth, stirring with a spoon until the mixture looks creamy and pourable—no clumps.

Step 6

Pour the sesame mixture back into the pot of broth, stirring constantly for about 30 seconds until combined and no white streaks remain.

Step 7

Add 1 tablespoon of white miso paste to the broth by pressing it through a small sieve or fork into the pot, then stir for 20 seconds until dissolved.

Step 8

Stir in 2 tablespoons of soy sauce, 1 tablespoon of rice vinegar, and 2 tablespoons of chili oil, then taste and add salt and pepper until it tastes bold and savory.

Step 9

In a separate 10-inch skillet over medium-high heat, add the ground pork and break it apart with a wooden spoon into small crumbles, stirring constantly for about 5–6 minutes until no pink remains.

Step 10

Add the minced ginger and garlic to the pork, stir constantly for 30 seconds until the mixture smells strongly fragrant—this blooms the flavors.

Step 11

Scrape the cooked pork and all its oil into the broth pot using a rubber spatula, stirring gently to combine.

Step 12

Bring the broth back to a rolling boil over medium-high heat—you'll see large bubbles breaking the surface constantly—about 3–4 minutes.

Step 13

Add the ramen noodles to the boiling broth and stir with a wooden spoon for 20 seconds to separate them, then cook for the time listed on the package, usually 3–4 minutes.

Step 14

When the noodles are tender but still have a slight firmness when you bite one, turn off the heat immediately.

Step 15

Ladle the noodles and broth into two bowls, dividing them equally and making sure each bowl gets plenty of pork and broth.

Step 16

Scatter the white and light-green scallion pieces over each bowl in a thin layer, then top with the dark-green scallion greens.

Step 17

Sprinkle 1/2 tablespoon of sesame seeds over each bowl and serve immediately while the broth is still steaming hot.