Homemade Tonkotsu Ramen

I was a Ramen virgin for a long time. It wasn’t until I watched Hikaru No Go, a Japanese anime that my brains processed its existence. Who said cartoons were bad for you. They can totally give a world view of things.. in this case, of noodles.

The main character Hikaru, who loves Ramen, often goes to a Ramen place. He slurps the noodles loudly and that noise would get me every time. It always made me wonder just how good Ramen is.

However, due to the insufficient amount of space in my tummy, I never bothered to explore Ramen. Most of the space was already occupied with Malaysian, spicy food. But then, as if the Ramen Gods thought it was time, I had the most life changing conversation in my life. With my bro in law.

Ironically, we were sitting at an Udon place eating Udon noodles. At that time, I only had my eyes on Udon. He proceeded to give an inspirational Ramen speech. A speech that trumps even the greatest speech on earth. It moved me. Not to tears, but to eat my very first bowl of Ramen Noodles soon after.

I think I nearly died. I was hooked. Totally obsessed. A ramen freak.

Instant noodles were a big part of my life… until I quit. But I’ve not been able to fill that void. That chewy, bouncy noodles void. Then, there was Ramen.

Nutrient dense rich, delicious broth made from bones, fat and marrow of both chicken and pork that leaves a sticky sheen of gelatin gloss on your lips as you devour them. Tiny fats swimming in the surface ommph the umami factor with fresh chewy and bouncy noodles, ‘soft yolk’ eggs and slices of thin, melt in the mouth pork belly.

Aaah… this is the ultimate comfort food.

The trick to a superb broth is:

1. Both chicken and pork is used along with onions, garlic, leeks and mushrooms.

2. Not only bones are used, but fats, collagen and marrows are used to make it gelatinous and give it its depth in flavor.

3. Broth has to be simmered for 6 – 12 hours. The longer the time, the more gelatin develops in the soup.

4. As for color, if you like your broth to be white, you will have to wash the bones off any bits of dark marrow or coagulated blood.

Homemade Tonkotsu Ramen

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4.9 from 14 reviews

• Author: Ai Ping
• Total Time: 750 minutes
• Yield: Serves 4
• Diet: Omnivore

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Description

Rich, comforting ramen, made from scratch. Learn the secrets to the perfect broth and delicious toppings.

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Ingredients

Units USM Scale 1x2x3x

• 2 lbs (1134 g) ramen noodles, cooked according to package directions
• 5 oz (142 g) pork fat
• 4 lbs (1814 g) pig hocks and/or trotters, ask the butcher to cut the smallest piece possible
• 2 lbs (907 g) chicken backs, cut into small pieces
• 1 lbs (454 g) chicken feet
• 1 large onion, peeled and slit around
• 1 whole garlic
• 2 inches ginger, sliced
• 1 leek, sliced
• 15 green onions, white parts only, cut them in half across
• 5 - 8 slices of white oyster mushrooms
• 1 (8-qt) heavy stock pot or an equivalent
• 1 1/2 lbs (680 g) slab boneless pork belly, rolled and secured with strings
• 1 cups (237 ml) water
• 1/2 cups (118 ml) soy sauce
• 1 cups (237 ml) white grape juice
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• 2 tbs sugar
• 5 green onions, halved
• 1 whole garlic, bruised
• 2 inches of ginger, sliced
• 2 whole shallots, halved
• 1/2 tsp whole black peppercorn
• Sauce from chashu
• 3 eggs
• Chashu sauce
• Mayu (see notes below)
• Salt
• Soy Sauce
• Tahini
• Miso paste
• Garlic and shallot oil
• Sesame oil
• Enoki, blanched quickly in hot broth or hot water
• Black fungus mushroom, blanched in hot broth or hot water for a couple minutes
• 15 green onions (green parts from broth), thinly sliced
• Nori (Seaweed for sushi), squared 4? by 4?
• Garlic, sliced and fried until crispy

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Instructions

1. Broth
2. Place the chicken, pork bones, and marrow in a stock pot. Add enough water to fully cover them. Cover and bring to a boil over high heat.
3. Drain the bones and wash off any dark marrow or coagulated blood with cold water.
4. Rinse the pot, return the bones, and add the remaining broth ingredients. Add water to barely cover. Cover and bring to a boil over high heat.
5. Simmer covered on low for 6-12 hours on the stove or 12-18 hours in a slow cooker. Check the first 10-15 minutes to ensure it’s barely simmering.
6. During the last 30 minutes to 1 hour, place 5 oz of pork fat in a sieve in the broth; cover and cook. Drain and finely mince the pork fat.
7. Skim some or all of the fat (easiest after refrigeration).
8. Pork Belly (Chashu)
9. Preheat oven to 250°F (121°C). Place pork belly in a saucepan; add water to cover and bring to a boil.
10. Drain and remove scum.
11. Return pork belly to the saucepan with the remaining chashu ingredients. Cover and bring to a boil over high heat.
12. Transfer to the preheated oven and cook for 5 hours. Shake the pan every hour to ensure even coating.
13. Insert a skewer; if there’s no resistance, it’s ready. Cook longer if desired.
14. Cool completely, then chill in the refrigerator (with the eggs) to absorb more flavor and ease slicing.
15. When ready to serve, cut the strings, slice the pork, and briefly reheat in hot ramen soup.
16. Eggs
17. Bring enough water to cover the eggs to a boil in a saucepan.
18. Reduce heat to medium, gently add the eggs, and simmer for exactly 6 minutes.
19. Drain and peel the eggs under cold water.
20. Place the peeled eggs in the cooled chashu sauce. Soak a paper towel with chashu sauce and cover the eggs to marinate for 4-12 hours in the refrigerator (with the pork belly).
21. When ready to serve, carefully slice the eggs in half and briefly reheat in hot ramen soup (avoid overheating).
22. Assembling
23. Bring the broth to a boil and add seasoning gradually.
24. Arrange noodles in a bowl and add chashu, egg, minced pork fat, toppings, and garnish. Serve immediately.

Notes

• For a richer broth, consider adding kombu (kelp) during the last hour of simmering.
• To simplify, use pre-made chashu pork belly from an Asian market.
• Leftover broth can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 5 days and frozen for up to 3 months.

• Prep Time: 30 minutes
• Cook Time: 720 minutes
• Category: Main Course
• Method: Braising
• Cuisine: Japanese

Nutrition

• Serving Size: 1 large bowl
• Calories: 700
• Sugar: 10
• Sodium: 1500
• Fat: 40
• Saturated Fat: 15
• Unsaturated Fat: 20
• Carbohydrates: 60
• Fiber: 5
• Protein: 40
• Cholesterol: 200

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