Pork Ramen Noodles -- The Soup That Waited in the Freezer

Surgery was Monday. We were at Brigham and Women's at 5 AM. Sean was admitted, prepped, gowned, IV'd. Dr. Mehta came in at 7 and held his hand and said "I am going to do my best work today, Sean." He said "I know you will." She walked out. They wheeled him toward the OR. I kissed him at the doorway. He said "Kate. Go eat something. Go for a walk." I said "okay." I did not eat. I did not walk. I sat in the surgical waiting area on the ninth floor with a phone and a notebook and Grace and my mother and did not do anything.

The resection took six hours. At 2 PM Dr. Mehta came to the family room. She was in her surgical cap. She sat down. She said "we got a gross total resection of the enhancing tumor. He tolerated the procedure well. He is in recovery now. You can see him in ICU in about two hours." She said "the pathology will come back in a week. That will confirm what we expect." She said "I am pleased with the surgery. I want to be careful about prognosis until we have the molecular markers back. But the surgical result is what we were hoping for." I said "thank you. Thank you." She squeezed my hand. She left. Grace cried silently. My mother cried silently. I sat.

Sean in the ICU at 4 PM: groggy, intact, speaking. The bandage wrapped his head. He said "Kate." He said "did it go okay." I said "Dr. Mehta said it went very well." He said "okay." He went back to sleep. I stayed. My mother took Grace home at 8. I slept (if you can call it that) in a chair next to his bed. I did not want to leave him. At 2 AM he woke up. He said my name. I said "I am here." He said "good." He went back to sleep.

Tuesday morning he was stepped down from ICU to the neuro floor. He walked with assistance. He was oriented. He was eating pudding and drinking water and telling a nurse a joke about his bandage by noon. By Wednesday afternoon he was discharged. We came home. He slept for the rest of the day. Grace stayed with him while my mother watched the kids. I made a small portion of the chicken soup for his first home dinner and he ate half of it and said "thank you, Kate" and I said "you don't have to thank me for soup, Sean" and he said "I am going to thank you for soup for a long time" and that sentence — that sentence, in that kitchen, on that Wednesday — I carried all week.

Liam and Nora saw him Thursday. Liam had been told Daddy had an operation but was going to be okay. Liam came into the bedroom where Sean was resting and stood at the foot of the bed and said "hi Dad." Sean said "hi Buddy." Liam looked at the bandage. He said "does it hurt." Sean said "only a little." Liam said "okay." He climbed on the bed and lay next to Sean for twelve minutes, not saying anything. Then he got up and left and returned to his trucks. This is how my four-year-old processes. He sits near the thing. He leaves. He comes back. That is the pattern.

The tomatoes on the counter kept ripening. The canned ones in the basement made a good row. The chicken soup is in the freezer in quart containers. The house has everything in it. We are in the aftermath. The next thing is the waiting. I am ready.

The chicken soup was for Sean’s first night home — small, gentle, familiar. But the ramen came later in the week, when the relief had settled into something slower and I needed to cook something that took a little more from me. Pork ramen noodles have that quality: the broth asks for time, the layers ask for attention, and when it’s done it fills the kitchen with something that smells like things are going to be okay. I made a full pot on Friday. Liam ate two bowls. Sean had one and a half and said nothing, which meant everything.

Pork Ramen Noodles

Prep Time: 20 minutes | Cook Time: 45 minutes | Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes | Servings: 4

Ingredients

• 1 lb pork tenderloin or pork shoulder, thinly sliced
• 4 servings (about 12 oz) fresh or dried ramen noodles
• 6 cups low-sodium chicken or pork broth
• 2 cups water
• 3 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon sesame oil
• 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
• 2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
• 4 large eggs
• 2 cups baby spinach or bok choy
• 3 green onions, thinly sliced
• 2 tablespoons white or yellow miso paste
• 1 teaspoon chili paste or sriracha (optional)
• Salt and white pepper to taste
• Sesame seeds, for garnish

Instructions

1. Marinate the pork. Toss sliced pork with 1 tablespoon soy sauce, 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil, and a pinch of white pepper. Set aside for at least 10 minutes while you prepare the broth.
2. Build the broth. Heat 1 tablespoon vegetable oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add garlic and ginger and cook, stirring, for about 1 minute until fragrant. Pour in the broth and water. Bring to a gentle simmer.
3. Season the broth. Whisk in the miso paste, remaining soy sauce, rice vinegar, and remaining sesame oil. Add chili paste if using. Simmer on low for 20 minutes to let the flavors develop. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and white pepper.
4. Soft-boil the eggs. Bring a small saucepan of water to a boil. Gently lower eggs in and cook for exactly 7 minutes. Transfer to an ice bath. Once cool, peel and slice in half lengthwise.
5. Sear the pork. Heat remaining 1 tablespoon vegetable oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Sear the marinated pork slices in a single layer, about 2–3 minutes per side, until cooked through with a little caramelization on the edges. Work in batches if needed.
6. Cook the noodles. Cook ramen noodles according to package directions. Drain and divide evenly among four bowls.
7. Add the greens. In the last 2 minutes of simmering, stir spinach or bok choy into the hot broth until just wilted.
8. Assemble the bowls. Ladle hot broth and greens over each bowl of noodles. Arrange sliced pork and a halved soft-boiled egg on top. Finish with sliced green onions, sesame seeds, and an extra drizzle of sesame oil if desired. Serve immediately.

Nutrition (per serving)

Calories: 520 | Protein: 38g | Fat: 18g | Carbs: 48g | Fiber: 3g | Sodium: 1140mg