Rich and Creamy Tonkotsu Ramen (with Noodle Recipe)

Steps

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1. 1
   Make the pork broth: Add pork neck bones, pork trotter, and pork fat back to a large pot and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil, then discard the water. Rinse the bones thoroughly under cold water to clean away impurities.
   ▶ ≈0:38
2. 2
   Transfer the cleaned bones to a pressure cooker and add 5000 ml of water. Cook on high pressure for 80 minutes.
   ▶ ≈1:31
3. 3
   Pour the broth and bones back into the large pot and bring to a vigorous boil. Boil for 30 minutes until the broth becomes opaque and milky and has reduced by about 25–30%. Strain out the solids.
   ▶ ≈4:14
4. 4
   Make the tare: Combine kombu, bonito flakes, salted dried anchovies, and dried shiitake mushrooms in a saucepan. Add light soy sauce, sugar, and water. Bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat without boiling hard.
   ▶ ≈1:50
5. 5
   Remove from heat, cover, and steep for 1 hour. Strain out the solids.
   ▶ ≈2:36
6. 6
   Prepare pork chashu: Tie the boneless pork shoulder into a round roast shape using kitchen twine, wrapping it tightly to ensure even cooking.
   ▶ ≈2:49
7. 7
   Add oil to a heavy-bottomed Dutch oven and heat over medium-high. Sear the tied pork on all sides until golden brown on each face.
   ▶ ≈3:32
8. 8
   Add 3000 ml water, sliced ginger, and 500 ml soy sauce. Bring to a simmer, reduce heat to low, cover, and braise for 90–100 minutes until the meat is tender but holds its shape. Cool in the liquid, wrap, and refrigerate.
   ▶ ≈3:55
9. 9
   Make ramen noodles: Add bread flour, coarse salt, and baked soda to a food processor. In a separate bowl, mix egg yellow food coloring into 160 ml water. With the processor running, slowly drizzle in the yellow water until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Let sit for 30 minutes to hydrate.
   ▶ ≈7:19
10. 10
    Press the dough together into a mass, squeezing out air. Cut into 4 strips and link them together into one long belt. Roll flat with a rolling pin until it can fit through a pasta roller.
    ▶ ≈8:55
11. 11
    Feed the dough belt through the pasta roller on the widest setting, fold in half, and repeat. Gradually decrease the roller thickness and repeat several times until the dough becomes smooth. Then fold in half again, increase the roller thickness, and repeat several more times until reaching setting #6 on the roller with a smooth sheet.
    ▶ ≈9:22
12. 12
    Cut the long sheet into roughly 30 cm pieces and dust both sides with flour to prevent sticking. Trim the edges and corners, then feed through a spaghetti cutter to cut noodles. Divide into four 5 oz portions, cover, and refrigerate.
    ▶ ≈10:40
13. 13
    Make soy-marinated eggs: Boil 6 eggs in water for exactly 7 minutes. Drain the hot water and immediately cover with ice water to stop cooking. Once cooled and peeled, place in a zip-lock bag with 50 ml water, 50 ml mirin, and 50 ml soy sauce. Squeeze out air, seal, and marinate for 4–24 hours.
    ▶ ≈11:47
14. 14
    Make aroma oil: Combine 75 ml canola oil with 10 ml sesame oil, 10 g minced garlic, and 10 g grated ginger. Heat over medium until fragrant. Stir in 30 g gochujang and 5 g paprika, cooking for 30 seconds. Add 50 ml mirin and 10 g honey. Transfer to a high-sided container and blend with an immersion blender for about 30 seconds until smooth.
    ▶ ≈12:27
15. 15
    Assemble each bowl: Combine 200 ml tare and 350 ml pork broth in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Preheat the serving bowl in an oven. Use an immersion blender to spin for about 10 seconds, fully emulsifying the fat to make the broth creamy and thick. Add two slices of pork chashu to warm through.
    ▶ ≈13:36
16. 16
    Cook one portion of noodles in lightly salted boiling water for 90 seconds. Pour the hot creamy broth into the preheated serving bowl, add the cooked noodles, warmed pork chashu, half a marinated egg, thinly sliced scallions, and top with a dab of aroma oil.
    ▶ ≈14:11