Tonkotsu Ramen
If you want good, from scratch ramen, you have to put in a little bit of time and effort. This recipe is a labor of love but the results are transcendent.
Ingredients
PORK BROTH:
- 2250 g pork neck bones, 2 1/4kg
- piece of pork trotter, about the size of a fist
- piece of pork fat back or pork belly, about the size of a fist
- water
TARE:
- 30 g kombu
- 30 g bonito flake
- 30 g salted dried anchovies, whole
- 30 g dried shitake, whole
- 500 g light soy sauce
- 5 g sugar
- 1500 g water
PORK CHASHU:
- 1500 g boneless pork shoulder
- cooking twine, optional
- 3000 g water
- 1 knob ginger, 2 inches/5cm, sliced
- 500 g soy sauce
RAMEN NOODLES:
- 450 g bread flour
- 5 g kosher salt
- 8 g baked soda, spread on parchment'd sheet tray, baked 225F/105c, 1 hour
- tiny pinch of egg yellow food coloring
- 160 g water
SOY SAUCE EGGS:
- 6 eggs
- 50 g water
- 50 g mirin
- 50 g soy sauce
AROMA OIL:
- 75 g canola
- 10 g sesame oil
- 10 g garlic, minced
- 10 g ginger, grated
- 30 g gochujang
- 5 g paprika
- 50 g mirin
- 10 g honey
TO SERVE EACH BOWL:
- 200 g tare
- 350 g pork broth
- 1 portion of ramen noodles
- Marinated egg
- Sliced scallions
- Aroma oil
Instructions
PORK BROTH:
- Add pork parts to large stock pot, cover with water, bring to a boil then drain water from pork & rinse bones. Add rinsed bones to pressure cooker & top with 5000g/5L water. Cook, high pressure for 80 mins.
- Return broth & bones to large stock pot & bring to boil for 30 min until broth has taken on an opaque quality & has reduced by 25-30%. Strain out solids.
TARE:
- Combine the tare ingredients in a stock pot and bring to a simmer. Once simmering, remove from the heat and steep for 1 hour. Strain the liquid and set aside.
PORK CHASHU:
- Tie pork into a roast. Sear meat on all sides in heavy bottomed pot or dutch oven over med-high heat. When roast has been seared, add water, sliced ginger, & soy sauce. Bring to simmer, reduce heat to low, cover, & continue to cook for 90-100 min.
- When finished, texture should be soft, but not shreddable. Allow to cool in liquid then wrap & refrigerate.
If you are unfamiliar with tying a roast, I highly recommend you watch the video linked above to help guide you.
RAMEN NOODLES:
- Add flour, salt, & baked soda to food processor. In separate container, mix food coloring into water. With processor running, stream in yellow water. Dough will be dry & pebbly. Allow ito sit for 30 min to hydrate. Press together into a mass. Cut into 4 strips then link together into 1 long belt. Roll flat & wide into a shape that fits through a pasta roller. I’m using the kitchen aid pasta attachment.
- Feed dough through on the widest setting, fold in half & repeat. Reduce roller thickness, feed pasta through, & repeat several times until the dough turns into a more smooth, pasta looking sheet. Fold dough in half, increase roller thickness, & repeat several more times until you get a smooth sheet on #6 on the roller.
- Cut this long sheet into 12″/30cm sheets then drop each through a spaghetti cutter (or hand cut). Measure into four, 5oz portions. Cover & refrigerate until ramen time.
SOY SAUCE EGGS:
- Boil eggs 7 minutes then drain & transfer to ice bath. Once cooled, peel & move to a food storage bag with water, mirin, & soy sauce. Press out air & marinate for 4-24 hours.
AROMA OIL:
- Combine oils, garlic, ginger in sauce pot over med heat until sizzling & fragrant. Stir in gochujang & paprika. Cook for 30 seconds and add in the mirin and the honey. Transfer the oil to a high sided container & spin with an immersion blender until smooth.
TO SERVE EACH BOWL:
- Bring a pot of salted water to a boil.
- In a separate sauce pot, add the tare and broth and bring them to a boil. Remove the broth from the heat and blend with an immersion blender until creamy. Add in two slices of the pork chashu to heat through.
- Cook the noodles in the boiling water for 90 seconds.
- Pour the hot, creamy broth into a warm bowl. Add your cooked noodles, top with warmed pork, a halved egg, scallions and a dab of aroma oil.
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