Step 1 of 9
Soak the pork bones in cold water for 30 minutes. Drain, then bring to a hard boil in fresh water for 10 minutes to release scum. Drain, scrub bones, return to the pot.
Step 2 of 9
Add chicken feet, halved garlic, sliced ginger, and 6 L fresh water. Bring to a rolling boil and keep it there. The boil is what emulsifies the fat into the milky white — a gentle simmer makes clear broth, not tonkotsu.
Step 3 of 9
Hard-boil for 10–12 hours. Top up with hot water every 90 minutes. The broth should reduce to about 3 L and turn an opaque ivory.
Step 4 of 9
Meanwhile, make the chashu. Combine soy, mirin, sake, sugar with 500 ml water. Submerge the rolled pork belly. Bring to a simmer, cover, and cook 90 minutes until fork-tender.
Step 5 of 9
Remove the pork, cool, and refrigerate. Reserve 200 ml of the cooking liquid as the shoyu tare. Add 1 tsp sea salt per bowl to half the tare for shio variant.
Step 6 of 9
Soft-boil the eggs: 6 minutes 30 seconds from cold water, plunge into ice water, peel. Marinate in the remaining chashu liquid 4 hours to overnight.
Step 7 of 9
When ready to serve: strain the broth through a fine sieve. Bring back to a simmer.
Step 8 of 9
Boil noodles in a separate pot for 60 seconds — they cook fast and don't forgive.
Step 9 of 9
In each warm bowl: 2 tbsp tare, ladle of broth, drained noodles. Top with 2 slices chashu, half a marinated egg, scallions, a crack of black pepper.
Ingredients 14
the broth
- 2 kg pork femur bones, halved by the butcher
- 500 g chicken feet (nails trimmed)
the chashu
- 800 g pork belly, skin on, rolled and tied
the chashu + tare
- 200 ml soy sauce
- 100 ml mirin
- 100 ml sake
- 2 tbsp brown sugar
- 1 head garlic, halved across the equator
- Thumb of ginger, sliced
- Sea salt for the shio tare
the toppings
- 4 large eggs (for ajitama)
- 4 scallions, white and green parts, thinly sliced on the bias
- Black pepper to finish
the noodles
- 4 portions fresh ramen noodles (thin, straight, low-hydration)