Tantanmen
Rich, spicy Japanese tantanmen — sesame-miso broth with caramelised minced pork, bok choy, soft-boiled egg and chilli oil.
Tantanmen is Japan's take on Sichuan dandan noodles: a luxuriously nutty, spicy ramen with a sesame‑miso broth and seasoned minced pork. It’s the kind of bowl that hits you with comfort and heat at once.
Make it on a weekend when you can fuss a little — caramelising the pork and emulsifying the sesame tare are where the magic happens. Serve with pickles or extra chilli oil for people who like it fiercer.
Ingredients
- 480 g Ramen noodles
- 400 g Ground pork
- 1.2 l Chicken stock — hot
- 80 g Sesame paste
- 40 g White miso
- 30 ml Soy sauce
- 20 ml Mirin
- 30 ml Vegetable oil
- 10 ml Sesame oil
- 45 ml Chilli oil — reserve ~15 ml for garnish
- 4 Garlic cloves — finely chopped
- 30 g Fresh ginger — finely grated
- 4 Spring onions — white and green parts separated, finely sliced
- 300 g Bok choy — halved lengthways if large
- 150 g Chestnut mushrooms — thinly sliced
- 4 Eggs
- 5 g Sugar — about 1 tsp
- 15 ml Rice vinegar
- 20 g Sesame seeds — to toast for garnish
- Salt — to taste; used for noodle water and seasoning
- Black pepper — freshly ground, to taste
Equipment
- large heavy-based saucepan (for broth)
- frying pan (for pork)
- small bowl/whisk (for tare)
- slotted spoon or spider (for noodles)
Instructions
Prep everything first: finely chop the garlic cloves, grate the fresh ginger, slice the chestnut mushrooms, trim and slice the spring onions separating whites from greens, and halve or separate the bok choy leaves. Have the chicken stock hot and the chilli oil measured out (reserve about 15 ml for finishing).
Make the sesame‑miso tare: in a small bowl whisk together the sesame paste, white miso, soy sauce, mirin, rice vinegar, sugar and sesame oil until smooth. Stir in 30 ml of the chilli oil (leave ~15 ml aside). If thick, loosen with a splash (20–30 ml) of hot chicken stock so it will meld easily into the broth.
Soft‑boil the eggs: bring a small pan of water to a rolling boil, add a pinch of salt and gently lower the Eggs in. Start timing and boil for 6 minutes for jammy yolks.
Transfer the Eggs immediately to a bowl of iced water and cool for 5 minutes. Peel when cool and halve just before serving.
Make the spicy pork: heat the Vegetable oil in a frying pan over a medium–high heat. Add the Ground pork and let it brown undisturbed for 2–3 minutes, then break up with a spoon. Add the chopped Garlic cloves, Fresh ginger and the white parts of the Spring onions plus the Chestnut mushrooms and continue to cook until the pork is deeply caramelised and the mushrooms have softened, about 8–10 minutes in total.
Combine pork and broth: pour the hot Chicken stock into the frying pan with the pork, then whisk in the tare you made in step 2. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook for 10 minutes so the flavours marry and the broth becomes slightly thicker and glossy.
Cook the noodles and blanch the greens: bring a separate large pan of water to the boil, add salt, then cook the Ramen noodles for 3–4 minutes according to the packet until just tender. In the final 45–60 seconds add the Bok choy to the same pan to blanch.
Assemble: divide the cooked Ramen noodles and Bok choy between four bowls. Ladle over the hot sesame‑miso broth and spoon the caramelised Ground pork on top. Halve the cooled Eggs and place in each bowl. Scatter the green parts of the Spring onions, toast and sprinkle the Sesame seeds, grind over Black pepper and finish with a drizzle of the reserved Chilli oil to taste.
Tips
- Caramelise the pork properly — a good brown crust gives deep umami. If the pan steams rather than browns, increase the heat and let excess liquid evaporate.
- If your sesame paste is very stiff, warm it slightly or loosen with a little hot stock before whisking into the tare to avoid lumps.
- Cook noodles at the last minute and serve immediately — overcooked or resting noodles ruin the texture of the bowl.
- Make the pork and tare ahead (up to 24 hours); gently reheat and rewhisk the tare into hot stock before serving for an easy weeknight version.
- Store leftovers separately if possible: broth in one container and noodles/pork in another. Reheat gently and combine to preserve texture.
Substitutions
Ground pork → ground chicken or turkey, same quantity
Stays closeSesame paste → smooth peanut butter, same quantity (note: changes the flavour profile noticeably)
Noticeably differentSoy sauce → tamari, same quantity (for gluten‑free)
Stays closeRamen noodles → fresh wheat noodles or udon for a chewier bowl
Noticeably different
Nutrition
Per serving · estimated
- 930
- Calories
- 39 g
- Protein
- 56 g
- Carbs
- 61 g
- Fat
- 4 g
- Fibre
- 4 g
- Sugar
- 1600 mg
- Sodium
FAQ
Can I make this vegetarian?
Use firm tofu crumbled and mushrooms instead of ground pork, and replace chicken stock with vegetable stock. Keep the sesame‑miso tare — the bowl will be tasty but less meaty.
How spicy is this?
Moderately spicy as written — the chilli oil level is adjustable. Add more reserved chilli oil to each bowl for extra heat.
Can I prepare elements ahead?
Yes. Make the tare and caramelised pork up to 24 hours ahead and refrigerate. Reheat the pork gently and whisk the tare into hot stock just before serving.
Why did my sesame paste separate in the broth?
If the tare is added to boiling broth too fast or not loosened first, it can separate. Whisk the paste with a little hot stock first and simmer gently to maintain a glossy emulsion.
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