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Tonkotsu Ramen (Pork-Bone Broth)

Servings: 4
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 720 minutes
Difficulty: Medium

Ingredients

  • 3 lb (1.3 kg) Pork trotters (feet) and/or neck/back/leg bones
  • 1-2 lb (450-900g) Chicken wings or carcass (optional, for extra body)
  • 1 large Yellow onion, quartered
  • 1 whole Garlic head, halved horizontally
  • 2-3 pieces (2-3cm thick) Ginger pieces, sliced
  • 1-2 bunch Leek or green onions, cut into large pieces
  • 1-2 whole Dried shiitake mushrooms (optional)
  • enough to cover bones by 5cm liters Cold water
  • to taste tsp Kosher or sea salt, for finishing
  • 0.75 cup (180ml) Japanese soy sauce
  • 0.25 cup (60ml) Mirin
  • 0.25 cup (60ml) Sake (or extra mirin)
  • 1 cup Dashi (kombu and bonito-based or instant)
  • 2-3 tbsp Chashu braising liquid (if making chashu)
  • 1-2 cloves Garlic, lightly smashed
  • small piece optional Fresh ginger, sliced (for tare)
  • 400-500 g Fresh ramen noodles, cooked
  • 100-150 g Chashu pork slices (braised pork belly/shoulder)
  • 2 halves Ajitsuke tamago (soy-marinated soft-boiled eggs)
  • 2-3 tbsp Green onions, finely sliced
  • 2-3 strips Nori sheets, cut into rectangles
  • to taste toppings Menma (bamboo shoots), enoki or wood ear mushrooms (optional)

Instructions

  1. BROTH: Rinse bones under cold running water to remove blood.
  2. Place bones in large stockpot, cover with cold water by 5cm. Bring to full boil over high heat. Boil 10-15 minutes, skimming off grey scum.
  3. Drain everything. Rinse bones well and scrub/wipe off any coagulated blood or dark bits. Rinse pot too.
  4. Return cleaned bones to clean pot. Add fresh cold water, covering by 5cm.
  5. Bring to rolling boil over high heat. Keep it boiling hard (not gentle simmer) - this violent boil emulsifies fat and collagen, making broth milky and creamy.
  6. Once at strong boil, add quartered onion, halved garlic, sliced ginger, green onion/leek pieces, and dried shiitake (if using).
  7. Maintain steady rolling boil for 10-12 hours. Keep bones fully submerged; top up with boiling water as needed to maintain original water level.
  8. Stir occasionally and scrape bottom so nothing sticks and burns. Do not try to clarify; cloudiness is desired.
  9. When broth is thick, opaque, and slightly sticky on lips, it's done. Remove from heat.
  10. Scoop out bones and large solids, then strain through fine sieve or cheesecloth into clean pot.
  11. You should have creamy, off-white, rich pork broth. Lightly salt if needed, but final saltiness comes from tare, not base broth.
  12. TARE: Combine 180ml dashi (or water), 0.75 cup soy sauce, 0.25 cup mirin, 0.25 cup sake, 2-3 tbsp chashu braising liquid (if available), 1-2 cloves smashed garlic, and small piece sliced ginger (optional) in small saucepan.
  13. Bring just to simmer, then gently simmer 5-10 minutes to meld flavors.
  14. Cool and store in fridge. It will be quite salty on its own (that's correct).
  15. ASSEMBLY: Warm serving bowls.
  16. Add 1-2 tbsp tare to bottom of each bowl.
  17. Ladle in about 300-350ml boiling-hot tonkotsu broth; stir to dissolve tare and taste.
  18. Adjust by adding little more tare if not salty/umami enough.
  19. Add freshly cooked ramen noodles to seasoned broth.
  20. Top with chashu slices, egg halves, green onions, nori, and optional toppings (menma, mushrooms).
  21. Serve immediately while very hot.
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