Hakata Sushi Roll Recipe

Prepare and blanch bones

Rinse the bones under cold water. Place bones and chicken carcass (if using) in a large stockpot and cover with cold water. Bring to a rolling boil over high heat for 10 minutes to remove impurities. Drain and discard this blanch water; rinse the bones and clean the pot.

Simmer to extract collagen

Return cleaned bones to the pot. Add 5 liters fresh cold water, halved onion, halved leek, crushed garlic, smashed ginger and kombu (if using). Bring to a vigorous simmer, then reduce heat to maintain a gentle but steady simmer. Skim any scum aggressively for the first 30–60 minutes. Continue simmering uncovered or partially covered for 6–8 hours (longer for richer tonkotsu-style broth), topping up water as needed to keep bones mostly submerged.

Finish and season base broth

About 30 minutes before finishing, add white pepper and 2 tsp salt, taste and adjust. Remove from heat, strain broth through a fine-mesh sieve or cheesecloth into a clean pot or large bowl. Discard solids. Keep broth hot until assembly (or cool and refrigerate; fat will congeal on top if chilled).

Combine 120 ml soy sauce, 30 ml mirin, 30 ml sake and 1 tbs sugar in a small saucepan. Bring to a low simmer and stir until sugar dissolves (1–2 minutes). Remove from heat and let cool. This is your tare — concentrate and refrigerate until ready. For each bowl use about 30–60 ml tare to taste.

Prepare pork belly

Roll the pork belly into a tight log and tie at 1–2 inch intervals with kitchen twine to maintain shape. Pat dry and season lightly with a pinch of salt.

Sear

Heat 1 tbs neutral oil in a heavy-bottomed skillet over medium-high heat. Sear the rolled pork on all sides until deeply browned, about 2–3 minutes per side. Transfer to a braising pot.

Braise

Add 480 ml water, 120 ml soy sauce, 30 ml mirin, 30 ml sake, 2 tbs sugar, sliced ginger, crushed garlic and 2 stalks green onion to the pot with seared pork. Bring to a gentle simmer, then cover and braise on low for 90–120 minutes until pork is very tender when pierced with a skewer. Turn occasionally so it braises evenly.

Cool and slice

Remove pork from braising liquid and let cool slightly. Reserve braising liquid for reheating slices if desired. When cool enough to handle, remove twine and slice thinly (about 3–4 mm) for serving. Keep warm (briefly reheat slices in some reserved braising liquid or in a skillet).

Make marinade

In a bowl or shallow container combine 120 ml soy sauce, 60 ml mirin, 60 ml water and 1 tbs sugar. Stir until sugar dissolves.

Soft-boil eggs

Bring a pot of water to a gentle boil. Using a spoon, lower eggs into boiling water and cook for 6–7 minutes for jammy yolks (adjust ±30s for firmness). Immediately transfer eggs to an ice bath to stop cooking for 5 minutes. Peel carefully.

Marinate

Place peeled eggs in the cooled marinade, submerging them (use a small plate to keep them submerged if needed). Refrigerate for at least 4 hours, ideally 8–12 hours, turning occasionally. Remove eggs from marinade and slice in half lengthwise just before serving.

Cook noodles

Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil. Cook fresh thin ramen noodles according to package instructions (usually 60–90 seconds) until just al dente. Drain and rinse very quickly under hot running water to remove excess starch, then drain again. Toss with 1 tbs sesame oil to prevent sticking if not serving immediately.

Warm bowls and combine tare

Warm serving bowls by ladling a little hot broth into each and discarding it. Spoon 30–45 ml (2–3 tbs) of tare into the bottom of each warmed bowl (adjust to taste).

Assemble each bowl

Ladle about 500–600 ml of the hot strained pork broth into each bowl over the tare. Add a portion of cooked noodles. Top each bowl with 3–4 slices of sliced chashu pork, one halved ajitsuke tamago, a small mound (about 1–2 tbs) of pickled ginger, and a generous scattering of thinly sliced green onion. Finish each bowl with a light sprinkle of toasted sesame seeds and a pinch (about 1/8–1/4 tsp) of white pepper. Serve immediately.

Notes on portions: this recipe yields about 4 bowls. Adjust tare and broth volume per bowl to taste; tare is salty and concentrated — start conservative and add more if needed.