Tonkotsu Ramen

Rich, milky pork bone broth ramen. One of Japan’s most celebrated noodle soups.

Ingredients

• 2 lbs pork trotters or neck bones
• 1 lb pork belly
• 4 ramen noodle portions
• 4 soft-boiled eggs (marinated in soy/mirin)
• 4 slices chashu pork (from belly)
• Broth aromatics: 1 onion halved and charred, 6 garlic cloves, 3-inch ginger, 2 tbsp sesame oil
• Tare: 1/4 cup soy sauce, 2 tbsp mirin, 1 tbsp sake
• Toppings: bamboo shoots, corn, nori, green onion, sesame seeds, black garlic oil
• Salt to taste

Directions

1. Blanch pork bones in boiling water 5 minutes. Rinse well.
2. Place blanched bones in a large pot. Cover with cold water. Boil vigorously for 4 hours, adding water as needed. Broth should turn white and milky.
3. Meanwhile, make chashu: roll pork belly tightly, tie with twine, braise in 1/4 cup soy sauce, 2 tbsp mirin, 2 tbsp sake, 1 cup water for 2 hours. Slice when cool.
4. Char onion and ginger in a dry pan. Add to broth in the last 30 minutes.

Strain broth. Season with tare and salt.

1. Soft boil eggs 6.5 minutes, ice bath, peel, marinate overnight in 1/4 cup soy + 1/4 cup mirin + 1/4 cup water.
2. Cook ramen noodles. Build bowls: noodles, hot broth, chashu, egg halved, all toppings.

Notes

The vigorous rolling boil is what emulsifies the collagen into the milky white broth. A simmer will never achieve tonkotsu texture.