Original Recipe

Prepare and blanch bones

Rinse the pork bones under cold water to remove large blood clots. Place bones in a large stockpot, cover with 3 liters of cold water, bring to a vigorous boil for 10 minutes. Skim off scum, then drain bones and discard the blanching liquid. Rinse bones and the pot under running hot water to remove residual impurities.

Roast aromatics (optional)

Heat 1 tbs vegetable oil in the cleaned pot over medium-high heat. Add the smashed ginger, halved garlic and quartered onion; sauté 3–4 minutes until lightly browned to deepen flavor (optional but recommended).

Simmer broth

Return blanched bones to the pot and add 6 liters fresh cold water, the sautéed aromatics (or raw if you skipped sauté), and the chopped white parts of green onion. Bring to a vigorous boil, then immediately reduce to a steady simmer. Skim surface regularly. Simmer, partially covered, for 6–8 hours (preferably 8 hours) to extract collagen and flavor. Add 2 tsp salt during the final hour to help season. If foam builds up, skim it off periodically.

Finish and strain

When the broth is rich and milky, turn off heat and remove large solids with tongs. Strain the stock through a fine-mesh strainer or cheesecloth into another pot to remove small particulates. Return strained broth to a gentle simmer and adjust seasoning with additional salt if needed. Keep hot until assembly.

Make kombu-shiitake dashi

In a small saucepan combine 500 ml chicken stock, 10 g kombu and 4 dried shiitake. Heat over low until just before boiling, remove kombu just as small bubbles form, then simmer gently 5 more minutes. Remove from heat and steep 10 minutes. Strain out solids and reserve the liquid.

Prepare tare (shoyu tare)

In a separate saucepan combine 150 ml soy sauce, 50 ml mirin, 50 ml sake, 1 tsp sugar and the reserved kombu-shiitake dashi and 15 g bonito flakes. Warm gently over low heat for 4–5 minutes—do not boil aggressively—then remove from heat and let steep 5 minutes. Strain to remove bonito and any solids. Taste and adjust: the tare should be salty and savory; if too strong dilute with a little water or chicken stock. Keep tare warm.

Combine tare with broth for bowls

For each serving, place about 35–45 ml (2–3 tbs) of tare in the bottom of a ramen bowl (adjust to taste). Ladle approximately 450–550 ml of hot pork broth over the tare and stir to combine. Taste and adjust tare ratio to achieve the classic balance of salty/umami.

Prepare chashu (if not pre-made)

If making chashu: roll pork belly, tie, sear evenly in a hot pan, then braise in a mixture of 150 ml soy sauce, 150 ml mirin, 100 ml sake, 200 ml water, 50 g sugar and some sliced ginger and garlic for 2–3 hours until tender. Cool in braising liquid, then slice thinly. (If using pre-made, reheat gently in a little braising liquid or warm broth.)

Make ajitsuke tamago (marinated soft-boiled eggs)

Bring a pot of water to a rolling boil. Gently lower eggs and boil 6–6.5 minutes for jammy yolks. Immediately transfer eggs to an ice bath for 5 minutes, peel carefully. Marinate peeled eggs 4–12 hours in a mix of 100 ml soy sauce, 100 ml mirin and 100 ml water (enough to cover eggs). Slice in half when ready to serve.

Cook noodles

Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil. Cook fresh ramen noodles according to package instructions, typically 90–120 seconds for fresh or 3–4 minutes for thicker alkaline noodles. Stir gently to separate. When noodles are al dente, scoop them with a spider or strainer and transfer directly to the warmed ramen bowls containing tare and hot broth (see previous section).

Assemble bowls and garnish

Divide noodles across 4 bowls. Pour hot broth (about 450–550 ml per bowl) over the noodles and tare. Top each bowl with 2–3 slices chashu, half an ajitsuke egg, a spoonful (about 35 g) of menma, a generous handful of sliced green onion, one sheet of nori tucked into the side, a drizzle (about 1/4 tsp) of sesame oil, a sprinkle (about 1/4 tsp) toasted white sesame, and a light dusting of black pepper or togarashi. Serve immediately while hot.