Ahh, ramen. I love you, ramen. <3
In Okinawa, nearly every weekend, my husband and I would go to a restaurant called Tondou which is a ramen shop franchise throughout Okinawa and one of the most beloved ramen franchise on the island. My favorite has always been their kuro kogashi and loved it every time! It is basically pork based infused with garlic. YUM! Who doesn't love garlic?!?! ;)
When I make tonkotsu ramen, I usually make a large batch because for one, my husband and I love ramen, and two, saving the extra broth will save me from making a fresh batch from scratch. Anyhow, the process to making tonkotsu ramen is pretty simple if you don't mind the long cooking hours, say 7-8 hours? Don't be intimidated! Most of the steps can be done ahead of time! ;)
For this recipe, I will show you how to make this pork base broth with GARLIC! YaY! Let's begin!
Keep in mind that this recipe calls for a lot, but if you prefer a smaller batch, you can cut the increments in half.
In Okinawa, nearly every weekend, my husband and I would go to a restaurant called Tondou which is a ramen shop franchise throughout Okinawa and one of the most beloved ramen franchise on the island. My favorite has always been their kuro kogashi and loved it every time! It is basically pork based infused with garlic. YUM! Who doesn't love garlic?!?! ;)
When I make tonkotsu ramen, I usually make a large batch because for one, my husband and I love ramen, and two, saving the extra broth will save me from making a fresh batch from scratch. Anyhow, the process to making tonkotsu ramen is pretty simple if you don't mind the long cooking hours, say 7-8 hours? Don't be intimidated! Most of the steps can be done ahead of time! ;)
For this recipe, I will show you how to make this pork base broth with GARLIC! YaY! Let's begin!
Keep in mind that this recipe calls for a lot, but if you prefer a smaller batch, you can cut the increments in half.
RECIPE
Serves 8 or more
TONKOTSU BASE
2 pounds pig trotters, cut in half
2 pounds pork leg bone, cut into several pieces or break bone in half.
1 pound chicken bones or chicken neck bones
1-2 cups oil for deep frying
5 inch knob of ginger, sliced
2 large onions, thinly sliced
6 large heads of garlic, trimmed of outer skin (TIP: You can add more or less garlic to your preference)
2-3 teaspoons cracked white pepper
Serves 8 or more
TONKOTSU BASE
2 pounds pig trotters, cut in half
2 pounds pork leg bone, cut into several pieces or break bone in half.
1 pound chicken bones or chicken neck bones
- Fill a large pot of water to about 1/2 the pot and bring to a boil. Season with salt.
- Add the pig trotters to the boiling water and boil for 15 minutes.
- Take the pig trotters out of the boiling water and clean the scum off the trotters under cold running water.
- Repeat steps 2 and 3 with the pork leg bone and chicken bones.
- Discard the dirty water from the pot and clean the pot.
- Add the trotters, leg bone, and chicken bones back into the empty pot.
- Fill the pot with just enough water to cover the bones and turn the heat up to high.
- Once it starts to boil, bring the temp down to medium or medium-low.
- Cook for 7-8 hours until all of the fat and collagen have melted into the broth.
1-2 cups oil for deep frying
5 inch knob of ginger, sliced
2 large onions, thinly sliced
6 large heads of garlic, trimmed of outer skin (TIP: You can add more or less garlic to your preference)
2-3 teaspoons cracked white pepper
- While the pot is boiling, heat a separate pot oil to a medium-high temperature.
- When the oil is hot enough, deep fry the garlic heads until browned all around. Set aside.
- Deep fry the ginger until browned and set aside.
- Deep fry the onions in small batches until browned and set aside.
- Pour the garlic, ginger, and onions into the pot.
- Add 2-3 teaspoons of cracked white pepper.
- Continue to let it boil until creamy and smooth.
- By this time, the collagen, fat, and marrow have melted and turned into a creamy, smooth texture.
- Using tongs and/or sieve, remove the bones out of the broth into a bowl.
- To "clean" the broth from bone, left over marrow, and cartilage debris, take a large bowl and sieve and place over the sink.
- Carefully pour the broth through the sieve and discard contents in the sieve to the trash.
- Continue until all of the broth from the pot has been emptied out.
- You may choose to reserve half of the broth at this point by putting the broth in another bowl and allowing it to cool before placing in a freezer bag or container.
- Place the remaining broth in a smaller pot and heat at low temperature until ready for use.
CONDIMENT 1
CHASHU
1.5 pounds boneless pork ribs, cut in half to fit in pot.
water
2 inch knob ginger, crushed. (TIP: Place ginger on chopping board, place side of knife on top of the ginger and crush.)
1 leek, cut in half
3 tablespoons oil
ice
4 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons sake
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1.5 pounds boneless pork ribs, cut in half to fit in pot.
water
2 inch knob ginger, crushed. (TIP: Place ginger on chopping board, place side of knife on top of the ginger and crush.)
1 leek, cut in half
3 tablespoons oil
ice
- Heat 3 tablespoons of oil in a deep pot.
- When the oil is hot enough, brown the sides of the pork ribs.
- Remove excess oil from the pot with a paper towel.
- Pour enough water to cover the meat.
- Place the ginger and leek into the pot and bring to a boil.
- Once it starts to boil, turn the heat down to medium-low heat and cook for 1-2 hours or until tender. If you can poke a skewer thru the meat with ease, then it is perfect.
- Take the meat out.
- Reserve 1 1/4 cup of the pork rib, ginger and leek broth and keep in a bowl.
- Fill a bowl of ice and water larger than the bowl of reserved broth.
- Place your bowl of reserved broth in the middle of the bowl of ice-water and let it sit for 30 minutes or until the fat had float to the surface and hardened.
- Skim the fat and reserve the broth. Set aside.
4 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons sake
1 tablespoon brown sugar
- To make the marinade, combine the soy sauce, sake, and brown sugar together and pour into the reserved broth that you had set aside earlier.
- Place meat into the same pot, pour the marinade over the meat, and turn the heat on to medium-high heat.
- Once it starts to boil, turn the heat off and take off burner.
- Let it cool in the marinade to help absorb more flavor.
- If it cool to touch, remove from the pot and place in a glass container until ready to use.
- Reserve the chashu marinade in an air tight container until ready for use.
- When ready to serve, thinly slice meat and broil for 2 minutes on one side.
CONDIMENT 2
AJITSUKE TAMAGO or JAPANESE SOFT BOILED EGG (TIP: Must make 4 hours ahead of time)
Hard boiled egg is your alternate option if you choose not to have it runny.
4 eggs, room temperature
water
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoon soy sauce
2 tablespoon sake
2 tablespoon mirin
ice
Hard boiled egg is your alternate option if you choose not to have it runny.
4 eggs, room temperature
water
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoon soy sauce
2 tablespoon sake
2 tablespoon mirin
ice
- Place eggs in pot, cover with water, and season with salt.
- Heat the pot to medium-high heat and time for 4 minutes once it starts to boil.
- Remove from heat.
- Fill a glass bowl full of ice-water and place your eggs carefully.
- While the eggs cool, combine soy sauce, sake, and mirin in a small bowl.
- Heat the mixture in the microwave for 20 minutes. Allow to cool and set aside.
- Carefully peel the egg shells and place the eggs in a plastic bag.
- Pour the liquid mixture over the eggs and seal the bag.
- Keep in the fridge or leave out for several hours to marinate.
- Set aside until ready for use.
- When ready to serve, slice egg in half.
CONDIMENT 3
MARINATED GARLIC
6 garlic cloves
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon sake
1 tablespoon mirin
6 garlic cloves
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon sake
1 tablespoon mirin
- Combine the soy sauce, sake, and mirin in a really small bowl.
- Heat the marinade in the microwave for 20 seconds. Allow to cool.
- Peel the garlic from their skin and place in the marinade and let sit on the counter top for several hours or 4 hours in the fridge.
- When ready to use, press garlic with a garlic press over your ramen.
CONDIMENT 4
KURO MAYU or GARLIC OIL (Charred black garlic oil)
1 garlic head, minced
1/3 cup sesame oil
TIP: It will taste burnt and bitter.
1 garlic head, minced
1/3 cup sesame oil
- Heat oil and garlic over medium-high heat.
- Once the garlic starts to turn color, turn the heat down to medium-low heat until the garlic has blackened and take off the burner. Allow it to cool and set aside.
- Once it is cool enough, pour the kuro mayu in a blender and blend until there is little to no visible chunks of garlic left.
- Pour the mayu in a small air tight container and set aside until ready to use.
TIP: It will taste burnt and bitter.
TOPPINGS and ASSEMBLY PER BOWL
1 package or bundle of ramen noodles, cook according to package
2-3 cups tonkotsu broth
2-3 cups tonkotsu broth
1 teaspoon mirin
1 tablespoon tahini or sesame paste
1 tablespoon chashu reserve
1-2 tablespoon finely minced fatback *optional*
salt to taste
- In a large bowl, fill about 2-3 cups tonkotsu broth, mirin, tahini, chashu reserve, fatback.
- Stir until well combined.
- Add salt to taste.
- Place noodles in the center of your bowl.
1-2 teaspoon kuro mayu
1 egg, sliced in half
1-2 slices roasted chashu
1 tablespoon negi (green onions), thinly sliced
1 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds
2 pieces toasted nori (seaweed)
1 tablespoon kikurage (woodear mushrooms) or black mushrooms, thinly sliced
1-2 slices roasted chashu
1 tablespoon negi (green onions), thinly sliced
1 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds
2 pieces toasted nori (seaweed)
1 tablespoon kikurage (woodear mushrooms) or black mushrooms, thinly sliced
2 cloves marinated garlic
Other optional toppings include: Menma, bean sprouts, corn, etc.
- Place the chashu in the center or on top of your ramen.
- Place egg on the side of the chashu.
- Add 1-2 teaspoon kuro mayu to bowl.
- Add kikurage on either side of the bowl.
- Top or sprinkle with negi and sesame seeds.
- Add nori to the top of your bowl.
- If you choose to have more garlic, press 2 cloves of garlic to your bowl.
Enjoy!