Tonkotsu Ramen

A white, creamy broth that coats the palate with collagen extracted from bones. Noodles remain firm to the bite while the pork belly literally melts away.

• Prep time: 45 min
• Cook time: 480 min
• Difficulty: Hard
• Calories: 2697
• Protein: 151 g
• Carbs: 93 g
• Fat: 188 g

Ingredients

• 800 g Pork belly ( whole, to be tied )
• 500 g ramen noodles ( fresh or dry )
• 4 L Mineral water ( for the broth )
• 150 ml soy sauce ( for the marinade )
• 100 ml mirin ( for the marinade )
• 50 ml Sake or rice alcohol ( for the marinade )
• 4 piece Egg ( room temperature )
• 5 piece Garlic ( cloves crushed )
• 1 piece Onion ( halved )
• 2 piece Scallion or chives ( finely sliced )
• 100 g bamboo shoots optional ( drained )
• 1 piece nori seaweed optional ( cut into squares )
• 1 tsp Ginger powder ( for the marinade )
• 30 g Fatback ( to brown the meat )
• 2 kg Pork bones (trotters and joints) ( feet and joints, cleaned )

Instructions

1. Blanching bones

   Submerge pork bones in boiling water for 10 minutes. Drain and scrub each bone under cold water to remove all coagulated blood and black impurities. This is crucial for a white, not grey, broth.

2. Broth extraction

   Return clean bones to the pot with mineral water, crushed garlic, and halved onion. Maintain a steady, rolling boil. The water's movement will emulsify fat and collagen to create that characteristic milky liquid.

3. Cooking Chashu

   Roll the pork belly and tie it tightly. Brown it in a pan with pork fat, then place in a small pot with soy sauce, mirin, sake, and ginger powder. Simmer on low heat until the meat is tender.

4. Preparing eggs and toppings

   Cook eggs for 6 minutes in boiling water to keep the yolk runny. Plunge immediately into ice water. Peel and marinate them in some of the pork cooking liquid.

5. Final assembly

   Cook ramen noodles al dente. In each bowl, place two spoons of tare (pork braising liquid), pour the boiling broth over it. Add noodles, two pork slices, half an egg, bamboo shoots, and sliced green onions.

Chef's tips

• The broth must boil vigorously, not simmer. Agitation is what creates the milky emulsion.
• If the water level drops too much, always top up with boiling water to avoid stopping the extraction.
• The tare is the salt of the dish: adjust the amount at the bottom of the bowl to your taste.

Storage

The broth keeps for 3 days in the fridge or 3 months in the freezer. Store toppings separately.