Got leftover ramen broth?

My kid loves ramen. But he really loves noodles. So whenever we buy him a $15 bowl of ramen(yeah he likes the good stuff from the popular restaurant)s, we have leftover ramen broth.

Thankfully the leftover ramen broth he leaves us is Tonkotsu: a pork bone broth that is extra creamy because of the collagen that releases from the long simmering times. It takes a great deal of time and effort to achieve a perfect Tonkotsu broth, so you can’t throw it away. Sure you could reheat it, maybe add some noodles, but what about an ultra rich pan sauce for pork chops? Yeah, I think so too.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup leftover ramen broth(Tonkotsu)
• 2 thick cut supermarket bone in pork chops
• 1 bag of baby spinach
• 1 cup shredded carrot
• 2 tablespoons Furikake
• 2 tablespoons Avocado oil
• 2 tablespoon Sesame oil

Steps:

1. Season Pork chops(see note directly below)
2. Add avocado oil heat pan over medium high heat
3. Add pork chops and sear about 5 min a side till temp hits 135 degrees and reserve on a plate
4. Wipe out pan(if using Furikake seasoning method)
5. Add sesame oil over medium heat
6. Add carrots and cook for 5 minutes or when the edges start to darken
7. Add bag of spinach cook till wilted, season to taste with salt but you won’t need much because of leftover ramen broth
8. Add leftover ramen broth, simmer for a few minutes
9. Return pork chops to pan. Simmer in sauce till internal temp of pork chops hits 145 degrees. Then serve.

*you might want to reconsider this but . . .

I seasoned my pork chops with Furikake, which is a Japanese seasoning typically used as a topping for rice, fish, and vegetables. I’ve used it as a rub to slow roast salmon at moderate temps(300 degrees) and really enjoyed the umami flavors the seasoning brings. I rubbed the pork chops in Furikake and seared them in the pan. It made for a lovely tasting pork chop but you will need to wipe out the pan before making the rest of the dish as the cooking the seasoning over high heat will leave bitter notes.

Leftover ramen broth looked about as good as I imagined.

And it tasted just as good too.

I would absolutely make this again with leftover ramen. I suppose this is a recipe hack but it’s also a reminder that Tonkotsu broth is arguably a sauce and with a little simmer can make for the most decadent pan sauce for meats, especially pork chops.