Back-Fat Tonkotsu Shoyu Ramen
Serves 4 · Prep: 30 minutes · Cook: 3 hours · Total: about 3 hours 30 minutes
Winter is my least favorite season, but homemade tonkotsu ramen makes it a little more bearable. A hot bowl of rich pork broth can fix my mood almost immediately.
Ingredients
Pork broth
- 3 pounds pork neck or back bones
- 1 pound split pork feet or pork hocks
- 1 pound chicken backs or wings
- 10 cups water, plus more as needed
- 1 yellow onion, quartered
- 1 head garlic, halved crosswise
- 2-inch piece ginger, sliced
- 3 scallion whites
- 8 ounces fresh pork fatback
Chashu
- 1¼ pounds boneless pork shoulder
- 1 cup water
- ½ cup soy sauce
- ½ cup sake
- ⅓ cup mirin
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 3 garlic cloves, smashed
- 4 slices ginger
- 2 scallions, cut into large pieces
Shoyu tare
- ½ cup Japanese soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons mirin
- 1 tablespoon sake
- 1½ teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- ¾ teaspoon MSG
- ¼ teaspoon ground white pepper
Garlic-soy paste
- 4 garlic cloves, finely grated
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon mirin
- 1 teaspoon red or white miso
- ½ teaspoon sugar
- Pinch of chili flakes, optional
For the bowls
- 4 portions fresh ramen noodles
- 2 soft-boiled eggs, halved
- ½ cup seasoned menma
- 4 sheets nori
- 3 scallions, thinly sliced
- Freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- 1
Roll and tie the chashu
Roll the pork shoulder into a compact cylinder and secure it with kitchen twine.
- 2
Braise the chashu
Place it in a saucepan with the water, soy sauce, sake, mirin, sugar, garlic, ginger, and scallions. Bring to a gentle simmer, cover partially, and cook for 75 to 90 minutes, turning the pork every 20 minutes.
- 3
Chill the chashu
Remove from the heat and let the pork cool in the braising liquid. Refrigerate until firm, preferably overnight, then slice thinly.
- 4
Boil the eggs
Bring a saucepan of water to a boil. Carefully lower in the eggs and cook for 7 minutes.
- 5
Shock and peel the eggs
Transfer them immediately to ice water. Peel once cold.
- 6
Marinate the eggs
Strain 1 cup of the chashu braising liquid and combine it with 1 cup water. Marinate the eggs in the mixture for at least 4 hours and up to overnight.
- 7
Blanch the bones
Place the pork bones, pork feet, and chicken in a large pot. Cover with cold water and bring to a hard boil. Boil for 10 minutes, then drain.
- 8
Scrub the bones
Rinse the bones thoroughly, scrubbing away any dark blood or gray residue. Wash the pot before continuing.
- 9
Pressure-cook the bones
Place the cleaned bones and chicken in an 8-quart pressure cooker with 10 cups water. Do not fill the cooker beyond its maximum line; work in two batches if necessary. Cook at high pressure for 90 minutes, followed by a 20-minute natural release.
- 10
Boil the broth
Transfer the broth and bones to a large stockpot. Add the onion, garlic, ginger, and scallion whites. Boil uncovered for 40 to 50 minutes, stirring occasionally and breaking up the softened bones where possible.
- 11
Keep the boil vigorous
Keep the boil fairly vigorous. The agitation helps the rendered fat and collagen combine with the liquid, producing the cloudy, creamy broth.
- 12
Strain the broth
Strain through a fine-mesh sieve. You should have approximately 6 cups. Add water if you have less, or continue boiling if the broth is too diluted.
- 13
Simmer the back fat
Place the fatback in a small saucepan and cover it with water. Simmer for 75 to 90 minutes, until extremely soft.
- 14
Mince the back fat
Drain and mince it finely, leaving a few small pieces about the size of coarse breadcrumbs. The softened fat creates the small, rich granules floating across the surface of the broth.
- 15
Make the tare
Combine the soy sauce, mirin, sake, salt, sugar, MSG, and white pepper in a small saucepan.
- 16
Cook the tare
Bring to a gentle simmer and cook for 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside.
- 17
Make the garlic-soy paste
Combine the garlic, soy sauce, mirin, miso, sugar, and optional chili flakes in a small saucepan.
- 18
Cook the garlic-soy paste
Cook over low heat for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring constantly, until thick and slightly darkened. Do not let the garlic burn.
- 19
Warm the bowls
Warm four serving bowls by filling them with boiling water. Let them stand while you cook the noodles, then empty and dry them.
- 20
Cook the noodles
Bring the broth to a full boil. Cook the noodles according to their package instructions and drain thoroughly.
- 21
Season each bowl
Add 2 tablespoons shoyu tare, 1 to 1½ tablespoons minced back fat, 1 teaspoon garlic-soy paste, and 1½ cups boiling broth to each bowl.
- 22
Combine and taste
Whisk briefly to combine. Taste the broth and add another teaspoon or two of tare if needed.
- 23
Finish the bowls
Add the noodles, then arrange the chashu, half an egg, menma, nori, and scallions on top. Finish with black pepper and another small spoonful of back fat for a richer bowl.
Recipe notes
Swaps & substitutions
- Stovetop broth, instead of a pressure cooker: after cleaning the bones, cover them with fresh water and simmer for 6 to 8 hours, refilling with hot water whenever the bones begin to emerge. Add the onion, garlic, ginger, and scallions during the final hour, then boil vigorously for the final 30 minutes before straining.
Make ahead & storage
- Start the chashu and eggs a day ahead if you can — the chashu chills best overnight before slicing, and the eggs need at least 4 hours to marinate. The broth and back fat can also be made ahead and reheated.
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