Classic Tantanmen (担々麺) Spicy Sesame Pork Ramen Recipe
What is Tantantmen?
Tantanmen is a spicy Japanese ramen. It consists of bouncy noodles in a rich soy milk broth seasoned with chili oil and neri goma (sesame paste), and topped with ground pork.
It’s very different from other ramen styles in both the broth and toppings. Instead of the usual toppings like chashu, menma, and ajitama, tantanmen is topped with spicy ground pork.
In our recipe, we use pork butt ground in a pork butt for a good ratio of meat to fat and ideal texture. However, store bought ground pork also works.
The main seasonings for the pork are doubanjiang, garlic, ginger, soy sauce, and sake. Since the pork is ground each bite is packed with spicy, salty, and aromatic flavor.
If you want a lighter version of Japanese tantanmen, I also have a high-protein tantanmen recipe that tastes almost identical but has less fat and more protein.
The Origins of Tantanmen
Tantanmen, like all ramen (and many other Japanese dishes), has its roots in Chinese cuisine. Specifically, the Sichuan region of China.
The Chinese version of tantanmen is called dan dan mian, or dan dan noodles. It’s very similar but there are a few pivotal differences between the two.
The biggest difference is that tantanmen is a brothy noodle soup with chili oil and sesame paste whereas dan dan mian is a saucy noodle dish, but much drier than tantanmen.
Both dishes are topped with ground pork and blanched greens (spinach and bok choy are common), however the sichuan version tends to be quite a bit spicier.
Also, there are several small differences when it comes to the seasonings; such as five spice, sweet bean sauce, and sui mi ya cai that are present in dan dan mian that aren’t in tantanmen.
What is Neri Goma?
Neri goma is sesame paste.Goma means sesame seeds in Japanese and Neri means kneading which refers to the traditional process of grinding sesame seeds in a suribachi.
Unfortunately, I have never found neri goma on the shelves of my local American supermarkets. But there is an easy solution – making my own!
The only ingredient in most store-bought neri goma is toasted sesame seeds, so it’s super easy to make! Just toast sesame seeds in a pan until they begin to brown and release their aroma, and then grind in a food processor.
Just One Cookbook has a great post about how to make neri goma and where to buy it.
Ingredients for Tantanmen
Pork – I use pork shoulder for the best ratio of lean meat to fat but you can experiment with other cuts or pre-ground pork (look for 80/20 if possible)
Chili Oil – In Japanese, chili oil is called rayu, and is a common condiment. You can buy this at many grocery stores or online. However, I use my homemade all-purpose chili oil in this recipe.
Garlic and Ginger – Tantanmen uses a good amount of garlic and ginger. Fresh is best, and the paste version is a close second. For an in depth explanation watch this video by Ethan Chlebowski.
Doubanjiang – Doubanjiang (sometimes spelled toban jan) is a Chinese paste made from fermented broad beans or soy beans mixed with chilies and spices. It’s very salty and umami, and mildly spicy. It can be hard to find doubanjiang in store, so I buy it online from Weee.
Soy Sauce – Soy sauce rounds out the saltiness and the umami in this dish.
Dark Soy Sauce – Dark soy sauce gives a richer color to the ground pork, but if you can’t find any, you can substitute more regular soy sauce.
Sake – Sake is one of the three main seasonings in Japanese cooking. I highly recommend anyone who wants to cook Japanese food even just semi-regularly should buy some. You can buy it on Amazon, Weee, Asian grocery stores, and maybe (big maybe) well-stocked grocery stores.
Neri Goma – Japanese sesame paste is one of the key flavors in the broth, and contributes to its rich creaminess. You can buy it online on Amazon or Weee, or you can make your own with toasted sesame seeds.
Soy Milk – Tantanmen’s soy milk-based broth is just as creamy as a tonkotsu broth, but lower in fat and without the hours of simmering. Make sure you buy unsweetened!
Stock – I always use a 1:1 ratio of soy milk to stock. Chicken, vegetable, or pork stock are the best for this recipe.
Ramen Noodles – The most accessible brand of ramen noodles I’ve found is the J-Basket brand that you can buy for a reasonable price on Amazon or Weee. These are not the same as instant ramen noodles, which are fried before packaging
Leafy Greens – I usually use spinach because it’s easy to find at our local grocery store, but bok choy is a popular choice as well.
Other Ramen Recipes
We love ramen and will make several more posts about it in the future! But for now here are the ramen post
Easy and Delicious Shoyu Ramen Recipe
Classic Tantanmen (担々麺) Spicy Sesame Pork Ramen Recipe
Time:
30 minutes
Yield:
4 servings
Cuisine:
Japanese
Ingredients
Tare
- 65 grams (4 tbsp.) of neri goma
- 30 grams (2 tbsp.) 2 tbsp. of chili oil
- 10 grams (2 tsp.) of miso
- 450 grams (2 c.) of unsweetened soy milk
- 450 grams (2 c.) of chicken, vegetable, or pork stock
Pork Topping
- 450 grams (1 lb.) of pork shoulder, ground
- 15 grams (1 tbsp.) of chili oil
- 15 grams (3 cloves) of garlic, minced
- 15 grams of ginger, minced
- 32 grams (2 tbsp.) of doubanjiang
- 15 grams (1 tbsp.) of soy sauce
- 7 grams (1/2 tbsp.) of dark soy sauce
Spinach
- 1 bunch of spinach
- Salt
- Water
Noodles
- 360 grams (4 servings) of ramen noodles (not instant)
- Water
Other
- Scallion greens, sliced on a diagonal
- Extra Chili Oil
Directions
Neri Goma
Tare
- Mix the neri goma, chili oil and miso in a small bowl.
2. Set aside until ready to use.
Pork + Broth
- Cut the pork shoulder into large chunks, then place the chunks into the food processor, and then grind the pork into small pieces.
2. Heat a wok over high heat and add about 1 tbsp. of chili oil (with no chili flakes, oil only), and swirl to coat the pan.
3. Add the pork and cook undisturbed for 3-4 minutes, to brown. After 3-4 minutes break up the pork with a metal spatula or wooden spoon.
4. Add the garlic and ginger, and cook for 1 minute.
5. Season with soy sauce, dark soy sauce, doubanjiang, and sake. Cook for about 3 minutes until the sauce is reduced and the pork is glazed in the sauce.
6. Move all but about ¼-½ cup of the pork from the wok and place it in a separate container. Leave the rest in the wok and don’t wash the pan.
7. Pour in the soy milk and stock, stirring to pick up all the residue off the sides.
8. Turn the heat up to high, and once the broth begins to simmer, slowly incorporate the tare into the broth.
9. Keep the broth at a gentle simmer until ready to serve. Turn the heat up to high before serving.
Blanched Spinach
- Bring a salted pot of water to a boil
- While the water is coming up to heat, prepare an ice bath by filing a medium-sized bowl halfway with ice, then covering with cold water.
- Once the water is boiling drop the spinach in the water for 30 seconds, then immediately remove and shock the spinach in the ice bath.
4. After about 2 minutes, remove the spinach and cut it into 4-5 sections.
Noodles
- Bring a (unsalted) pot of water to a boil.
- Right before serving, boil the noodles according to package instructions, strain, and serve.
Assembly
- Bring the broth to a simmer right before serving.
- Place a portion of noodles in a bowl, then top with ground pork, hot broth, a portion of blanched spinach, and green onions.
3. Serve immediately and eat quickly!
