Chef Beni Velazquez, ChinaLatina, Las Vegas
Fusion fare and ramen have been heating up the food scene for quite some time. Now, the two trend collide at ChinaLatina in Las Vegas, where chef/restaurateur Beni Velazquez has been dishing up his unique Pan-Latin cuisine since opening the restaurant in December 2019.
"I am self-taught, and through my travels I have picked up many techniques," explains Velazquez, who often jokes people will be hard pressed to find anything like what he has created because everything comes from his culinary imagination and his affinity for coloring slightly outside the lines.
One of the culinary creations from this creative chef of Puerto Rican descent is his Miso Pork Lechón Ramen featuring miso flavored pork and chicken broth, lechon, noodles, jicama slaw, street corn, cotija cheese and green onions—a dish that’s a favorite at ChinaLatina.
Miso Pork Lechón Ramen
Makes approximately 30 servings
Chef’s note: Make the Dashi first and refrigerate it overnight.
6 lbs. chicken bones
2 lbs. pork bones
1 lb. chicken wings
1 bunch scallions, chopped
6 oz. ginger, sliced
2 bulbs garlic, cut in half
2 Spanish onions, cut into quarters
3 ea. lemongrass, split in half each
300 ml. sake
3 c. red miso paste
2 c. white miso paste
Fresh ramen noodles**
Roasted pork leg (your own recipe; or see Chef Beni’s recipe at elrestaurante.com)
The Dashi:
1 lb. kelp
2 c. bonito flakes
2 c. dried shiitake mushrooms
Place the kelp, bonito flakes and dried shiitake mushrooms whole in a large jar filled with water, close the lid, and refrigerate overnight.
The Toppings:
Jicama slaw seasoned with a mojo citrus dressing, chili flakes, green onion, roasted dried red peppers, sesame oil, salt mix and black sesame seeds
Roasted pork, sliced, along with strips of crispy fried pork fat
2-in. piece of hot street corn on the cob topped with mojo mayo, tajin, and queso blanco
House-made ginger soy crema
Sprinkle of furikaki
Green onion
To make the broth*, clean the bones under cold running water carefully so that no blood remains. Now poach the bones and wings for 2 to 3 minutes or until the bones become white. Don’t do this for too long as you may lose the umami flavor. This process is very important to clean the bones further. Drain the bones and wings. Discard the poaching water.
In a large pot, place the bones and chicken wings along with the scallions, ginger, garlic, Spanish onions, lemongrass and sake. Fill with cold water to cover the bones, bring to a boil, then turn heat down to low and simmer gently for 3 hours, skimming the scum off the top occasionally throughout the 3 hours.
Now add the Dashi and the misos to the broth and continue slow cooking for another 2 hours. Remove from heat and strain through a fine mesh colander.
To serve: Heat fresh ramen noodles for only a few minutes careful not to overcook. Place the hot noodles in a large soup bowl, then pour the hot broth to fill. Top with the selection of toppings listed above.
*Can be kept hot during service, cooled and portioned for later use, or kept frozen for two months and used as needed.
**Velazquez uses noodles freshly made and sold in China Town that have to be refrigerated. If you can’t make your own, he says to use fresh noodles with no preservatives.
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