Tonkotsu Pork Ramen (Slow-Simmered Bone Broth, 6 hours)
Silky, opaque pork broth coats each spoonful with rich collagen-thickened body and deep pork flavor, topped with tender slices of braised pork, a jammy soft-boiled egg, crisp scallions, and a hit of toasted sesame oil. The broth’s creamy texture comes from a long, vigorous simmer of bones until marrow and collagen emulsify into an almost milky stock.
If you want to shorten the cooking time, roast the bones first for extra flavor and simmer for 3–4 hours instead of 6; use store-bought concentrated pork bone stock to speed things further. For toppings, swap or add menma (bamboo shoots), toasted nori, or pickled ginger. Use fresh alkaline ramen noodles if available; dried wheat noodles work fine in a pinch.
Serve this for a weekend dinner, an impressive casual dinner party, or any time you crave a deeply flavored bowl of noodles. Make the broth ahead and refrigerate (or freeze) in portions; reheat gently and assemble bowls in 10–15 minutes when ready to eat.
How to Make It
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1
Blanch bones: Place pork bones and trotters in a large stockpot and cover with cold water. Bring to a rolling boil over high heat for 10 minutes, then drain and rinse bones under hot water to remove scum.
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2
Prepare broth: Return cleaned bones to the pot and add 6 liters fresh water, kombu, and dried shiitake. Bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat.
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3
Simmer long and hard: Reduce heat to low-medium so the broth simmers actively (small vigorous bubbles). Simmer uncovered for 5–6 hours, skimming any foam occasionally. Maintain a steady simmer to emulsify marrow into the liquid.
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4
Aromatics: In the last 60 minutes of simmering add crushed garlic cloves, smashed ginger, and halved onion. Continue simmering so flavors meld and the broth turns opaque.
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5
Strain broth: Remove and discard solids (bones and aromatics) by straining the broth through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean pot. Press solids gently to extract liquid. Keep broth hot and skim any excess fat if desired.
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6
Make tare (seasoning sauce): In a small saucepan combine soy sauce, mirin, sake, and brown sugar. Bring to a simmer to dissolve sugar, then remove from heat and cool slightly.
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7
Prepare chashu pork: Roll pork shoulder into a tight log and tie with kitchen twine. Sear in a hot pan with vegetable oil until browned all over. Transfer to a small pot, add 200 ml prepared tare and enough water to cover halfway, bring to a simmer and braise gently for 45–60 minutes until fork-tender. Let cool in braising liquid, then chill and slice thinly.
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8
Soft-boiled eggs: Bring a pot of water to a gentle boil. Lower eggs and cook for 6–7 minutes for jammy yolks. Transfer to ice water, peel, and marinate 10–20 minutes in 50 ml tare mixed with a splash of broth.
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9
Cook noodles: Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil and cook ramen noodles according to package until just tender. Drain and rinse briefly under hot water if using fresh noodles to remove excess starch, then keep warm.
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10
Assemble bowls: Reheat strained broth and season each bowl by adding 2–3 tbsp tare per bowl (adjust to taste). Ladle 600–700 ml hot broth into each bowl over cooked noodles.
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11
Finish and garnish: Top bowls with sliced chashu, halved soft-boiled egg, sliced scallions, nori sheet, toasted sesame seeds, a drizzle of sesame oil, and pickled ginger if using. Serve immediately.
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