Making World-Class Ramen With Walmart Ingredients – It Was To Die For

Craving a steaming bowl of ramen that warms you from the inside out? You know, the kind with a rich, flavorful broth, perfectly chewy noodles, and melt-in-your-mouth toppings? I used to think that kind of ramen experience was reserved for fancy restaurants and late-night takeout menus. But guess what? I was wrong.

Here’s the truth: you can create an incredible bowl of ramen yourself, right at home, without breaking the bank or spending hours hunting down exotic ingredients. Yes, you read that right. This isn’t your average “throw-a-packet-in-boiling-water” ramen situation. This is ramen that will rival your favorite restaurant’s dish, and it all starts with a trip to your local Walmart.

Intrigued? I was too. When I first stumbled upon this recipe online, I was skeptical. Could it really be that easy to create restaurant-quality ramen with ingredients readily available at my neighborhood Walmart? Spoiler alert: it absolutely is.

Ingredients

• 4 lbs pork neck bones
• 4 lbs chicken wings
• 1 lb chicken feet
• 4 slice bacon
• 1 onion, rough chop
• 1 carrot, rough chop
• 4 oz mushroom, rinsed and rough chop
• 1 bunch scallion bottoms, white and green part
• 5 clove garlic (14 gram)
• 1 inch piece ginger (14 gram)
• 6 liter water (6000 ml)

Instructions

1. Bring a pot of water to boil.
2. Place pork in boiling water, boil for 10 minutes while skimming the scum. Remove pork from water after 10 minutes and rinse under running water. Set aside.
3. Rinse out the pot, fill it with water and bring it back up to a boil.
4. Place chicken in boiling water, boil for 5 minutes while skimming the scum. Remove chicken from water after 5 minutes and rinse under running water. Clip the toenails off of the chicken feet and make an X incision into the palm of each foot. Set aside
5. Place the pork in a pot and fill with 6 L water.
6. Bring the pot up to 190 F/88 C and set a timer for 2 hours. Skim any scum if you see it.
7. After 2 hours, place the chicken in the pot, bring it back up to 190 F/88 C and set a timer for 3 hours. Monitor temperature to stay at or near 190 F/88 C and skim any scum during the 3 hours.
8. After 3 hours (5 hours total simmering time), place the bacon and aromatics in the pot and set a timer for 1 hour.
9. After 1 hour (6 hours total simmering time), strain, cool, and put in fridge overnight
10. Skim fat off top and use immediately or freeze for future use

Total cooking time: 6 hours.

Shoyu Tare

Ingredients

• ½ cup (120 ml) Kikkoman soy sauce
• 1 Tbsp. (15 ml) sake
• 1 tsp. (5 ml) rice vinegar
• ¼ tsp. (1 gram) sugar
• ½ tsp. (2 gram) MSG (Accent brand)
• 3/4 tsp. (3 gram) Morton’s kosher salt (if table salt only use ½ tsp., if Diamond Brand kosher salt, use 1 tsp.)

Instructions

1. Place all ingredients in a small pot, bring to a boil and immediately kill the heat.
2. Stir to dissolve sugar, MSG and salt.
3. Set aside to cool and store indefinitely in the fridge.

Roasted Pork Shoulder

Ingredients

• 3 lb. Pork Shoulder
• 2 tbsp kosher salt
• 2 tbsp sugar

Instructions

1. Mix salt and sugar together and rub all over pork shoulder
2. Place in covered container in the fridge for 6-18 hours
3. Preheat oven to 250 F
4. Discard all liquid, then place pork, uncovered, on baking sheet and roast for 6 hours (basting with rendered fat every 2 hours)
5. Shred pork with forks and use immediately or store in a covered container in the fridge for up to 3 days

Note: if storing in the fridge, mix in some of the rendered fat to keep the pork shoulder moist

Soy Marinated Egg (Aji-Tama)

Ingredients

• 1 cup soy sauce
• 1 cup sake
• 1 cup water
• 1 tbsp + 1 t sugar
• 8-12 eggs

Instructions

For the marinade:

1. Mix all marinade ingredients together in a small pot and place over high heat
2. Boil for 30 seconds and turn off the heat.
3. Stir to dissolve sugar and allow to cool completely.

For the eggs:

1. Bring a small pot of water up to a boil and prepare an ice bath
2. Make a small puncture in each egg using a paperclip and spoon (not mandatory, but helps later)
3. Drop eggs in boiling water, set a timer for 7 minutes, and stir eggs gently in a circular motion for 1-2 minutes
4. After timer is up, remove eggs to ice bath
5. When eggs are cool enough to handle, peel and place in marinade
6. Marinade for 6-24 hours, remove from marinade and store in a covered container in the fridge for 3-5 days