Japanese Tonkotsu Ramen with Pork Belly Chashu

Method22 steps · about 5 hr

1. 1

   Step 1: Have the ready pork-bone broth and ready ramen eggs prepared before starting; keep them refrigerated while the pork cooks. Set out a heavy skillet and a covered braising pot that fit the pork belly (1 kg). Take the pork from the refrigerator, pat it dry with clean paper towels and keep its preparation area separate from the ready toppings.

   Uses 1 kg pork belly, skin on

2. 2

   Step 2: Sprinkle the 1½ tsp fine salt over both sides of the pork belly from step 1.

   Uses Pat-dried pork belly · 1½ tsp fine salt, for pork

3. 3

   Step 3: Peel and slice the 2-inch length of ginger (2-inch).

   Uses 2-inch length of ginger, peeled and sliced

4. 4

   Step 4: Wash the two leeks thoroughly, then cut them into 1½-inch lengths.

   Uses 2 leeks, cut into 1½-inch lengths · Clean water, for washing produce, rinsing soaked fungus and briefly cooling cooked sprouts

5. 5

   Step 5: Wash the braising green onion (1) and cut it into large chunks.

   Uses 1 green onion, cut into large chunks · Clean water, for washing produce, rinsing soaked fungus and briefly cooling cooked sprouts

6. 6

   Step 6: Heat the skillet, then put in the salted pork belly from step 2 skin side down. Brown for about 10–15 minutes, watching closely and checking from 10 minutes; adjust the heat so the skin browns without burning.

   Check pork skin browning · 10 minUses Salted skin-on pork belly

7. 7

   Step 7: Turn the pork in the skillet from step 6 and brown the second side for about 5 minutes, watching the color. Turn off the heat once the skin is nicely browned.

   Brown the second pork face · 5 minUses Pork belly and rendered fat in skillet

8. 8

   Step 8: Set the browned pork skin side down in the same skillet with its rendered fat. Add the 3 cups braising water, sliced ginger from step 3, leeks from step 4 and green onion from step 5. Cook over medium heat for a few minutes until the mixture is hot.

   Uses Browned pork and rendered skillet fat · 3 cups water, for chashu braise · Sliced ginger · Clean cut leeks · Cut braising green onion

9. 9

   Step 9: Add the 6 tbsp sugar, ½ cup shoyu and ½ cup sake to the skillet mixture from step 8. Bring to a boil.

   Uses Pork, aromatics and braising water · 6 tbsp sugar · ½ cup shoyu, Japanese soy sauce · ½ cup sake

10. 10

    Step 10: Transfer the boiling pork mixture from step 9 to the braising pot. Cover and lower the heat to a gentle simmer for about 4 hours, turning the pork occasionally and checking the liquid throughout. Add a little hot water only if needed to keep the pork from scorching before it is tender. Towards the end, let the liquid reduce without cooking the pot completely dry. The pork must be tender and reach at least 63°C in the center. While it simmers, prepare steps 12–18, then return to step 11 when the pork is ready.

    Check chashu tenderness · 240 minUses Boiling seasoned pork-belly mixture · A little hot water, only if the chashu liquid threatens to dry before the pork is tender

11. 11

    Step 11: Lift the tender pork from step 10 onto a clean plate, leaving the aromatics and remaining braising liquid in the pot. After it reaches at least 63°C, rest it off the heat for at least 3 minutes, then slice it for topping the ramen. Keep cooked pork hot at 60°C or above until assembly, or refrigerate promptly and reheat to 74°C before serving if preparing ahead.

    Rest the cooked chashu · 3 minUses Cooked pork lifted from the braising liquid and aromatics

12. 12

    Step 12: Halve the eight ready Japanese ramen eggs with a clean knife or food-safe thread. Keep them refrigerated until the bowls are ready to garnish.

    Uses 8 ready prepared Japanese ramen eggs, refrigerated

13. 13

    Step 13: Have the full 4 litres ready pork-bone broth thawed safely in the refrigerator if it was frozen. Keep chilled until heating in step 19. If using concentrate, dilute it according to its instructions to make 4 litres of ready broth before use.

    Uses 4 litres ready prepared pork-bone broth

14. 14

    Step 14: Rinse the 20–30 dried cloud fungus pieces under clean running water, then soak in a clean bowl of cold water for about 30 minutes, until rehydrated. Drain and discard the soaking water, rinse again, trim any tough base and cut into thin strips. Keep chilled if waiting, and cook the fungus in step 19 before using it as a topping.

    Soak cloud fungus · 30 minUses 20–30 dried black cloud fungus pieces, depending on size · Clean cold water, enough to soak the dried fungus · Clean water, for washing produce, rinsing soaked fungus and briefly cooling cooked sprouts

15. 15

    Step 15: Wash and finely slice the two garnish spring-onion (2 stalks) stalks. Keep the prepared garnish clean and chilled until assembly.

    Uses 2 stalks spring onion, washed and finely sliced · Clean water, for washing produce, rinsing soaked fungus and briefly cooling cooked sprouts

16. 16

    Step 16: If using the optional 200 g bean sprouts, wash them and trim their ends as desired. Set them aside for boiling in step 18.

    Uses 200 g bean sprouts, optional · Clean water, for washing produce, rinsing soaked fungus and briefly cooling cooked sprouts

17. 17

    Step 17: If using the optional small roll of ready-to-eat Japanese fish cake (1 small), slice it thinly and follow its package handling instructions. Keep chilled until serving.

    Uses 1 small roll ready-to-eat Japanese fish cake, optional

18. 18

    Step 18: If using the prepared sprouts from step 16, put them in a pot of cold water and bring to a boil. Once boiling, cook for about 2–3 minutes, checking from 2 minutes and continuing until thoroughly cooked and hot throughout. Drain, briefly rinse under clean running water for about a minute to stop further cooking, then drain again. Use promptly or refrigerate while waiting.

    Check optional sprouts · 2 minUses Cleaned sprouts lifted from their washing water · Water, enough to boil the optional bean sprouts · Clean water, for washing produce, rinsing soaked fungus and briefly cooling cooked sprouts

19. 19

    Step 19: Bring the prepared pork-bone broth from step 13 to a full boil, reheating it to at least 74°C. Add the drained sliced fungus from step 14 and cook it fully according to its product directions before assembling the bowls. Keep the broth hot for serving.

    Uses Ready chilled pork-bone broth · Drained, rinsed and sliced fungus; soaking water discarded

20. 20

    Step 20: In a separate large pot, bring the noodle-cooking water to a boil. Add the fresh ramen noodles for the bowls being served and cook according to their package directions, using about 5 minutes as the source guide and checking the texture. Drain the cooked noodles well and divide among the bowls.

    Check fresh ramen noodles · 5 minUses Fresh ramen noodles, enough for the bowls being served · Water, enough to boil the fresh ramen according to its package

21. 21

    Step 21: Ladle hot broth from step 19 over the drained noodles from step 20. Keep the cooked fungus ready for the topping in step 22.

    Uses Cooked noodles only, drained of their cooking water · Broth for the bowls; cooked fungus remains for topping

22. 22

    Step 22: Top the ramen bowls from step 21 with the sliced chashu from step 11, halved ready ramen eggs from step 12, cooked fungus from step 19 and garnish spring onion from step 15. Add the cooked sprouts from step 18 and ready fish-cake slices from step 17 if using. Serve hot. The author gives eight bowls as a guide; the noodle quantity follows the chosen product and the bowls being served.

    Uses Ramen bowls with hot broth · Sliced pork for topping, separate from remaining braising liquid · Halved ready ramen eggs · Cooked fungus lifted from the hot broth · Sliced garnish spring onion · Cooked drained sprouts only; cooking and rinsing water discarded · Ready optional fish-cake slices