Combo A Recipe

Blanch and clean bones

Place pork bones and trotters in a large stockpot and cover with cold water. Bring to a rolling boil for 10 minutes. Drain and discard the blanching water. Rinse bones and pot to remove scum.

Make creamy tonkotsu broth

Return cleaned bones and trotters to the pot. Add chicken carcass/wings (if using), ginger, garlic, white parts of green onion, dried shiitake, kombu, and 6 L fresh water. Bring to a vigorous boil, then reduce to a steady rolling simmer. Skim frequently during the first 1–2 hours to remove scum. Simmer uncovered for 8–12 hours (longer for creamier broth), adding water as needed to keep bones covered. For a truly opaque tonkotsu, maintain a consistent rolling boil for several hours if your pot and setup allow.

Finish stock

About 30 minutes before finishing, remove kombu to avoid bitterness. After desired cook time, strain broth through a fine-mesh sieve or cheesecloth into a clean pot. Press gently on solids to extract liquid. Season the broth with salt, 120 ml soy sauce, mirin and sake. Adjust salt to taste. Keep hot.

Prepare tare (if using concentrated tare)

If using a prepared chicken/pork tare, measure 30 ml per serving (approx 120 ml for 4 servings). Warm tare slightly and set aside.

Cook noodles

Bring a separate large pot of water to a vigorous boil. Cook ramen noodles according to package instructions (typically 60–90 seconds for fresh, 3–4 minutes for dried) until just al dente. Drain well and portion into four bowls.

Assemble bowls

Spoon 30 ml of tare into the bottom of each serving bowl. Ladle about 600–700 ml of hot tonkotsu broth into each bowl and stir to dissolve tare. Add cooked noodles. Arrange toppings: 2 slices chashu pork per bowl (about 75 g), 1 ajitsuke tamago halved, menma (about 40 g), half nori sheet, sliced green onions, sprinkle toasted sesame seeds, a drizzle of sesame oil, and a pinch of white pepper. Serve immediately.

Prepare filling

In a mixing bowl, combine ground pork, 2 tbs soy sauce, 1 tbs oyster sauce, 1 tbs rice wine, 1 tsp sugar, 1 tsp sesame oil, minced garlic, minced ginger, and chopped green onion. Mix thoroughly until sticky. Optionally pan-fry a small piece to check seasoning and adjust salt/sugar.

Cook filling

Heat a nonstick skillet over medium heat with a small drizzle of oil. Cook the pork mixture, breaking it up, until fully cooked and slightly caramelized, about 6–8 minutes. If the mixture renders liquid, continue cooking until most liquid evaporates and the filling is sticky. Remove from heat and let cool slightly.

Fill bao

If using pre-made bao dough that requires proofing/steaming, follow package instructions. For each bao, gently flatten dough, place 1 heaping 2 tbs (about 50 g) of pork filling in the center, add a small smear of hoisin sauce and a few thin cucumber slices and pickled carrot if using. Fold or pleat to close and set seam-side down on a small square of parchment.

Steam buns

Prepare a steamer with simmering water. Arrange bao in the steamer leaving space for expansion. Steam over medium-high heat for 8–10 minutes for thawed/prepared dough (follow package times if different). If using homemade raw dough, steam 12–14 minutes. Remove carefully and serve warm with extra hoisin on the side.

Bloom gelatin

Sprinkle 8 g gelatin over 30 ml cold water in a small bowl and let sit 5–10 minutes to bloom. If using agar-agar, dissolve 4–5 g agar powder in milk during heating (see note).

Heat milk and infuse matcha

In a saucepan, sift 2 tbs matcha into a small bowl and add 2 tbs of warm milk to make a smooth slurry (no lumps). In the saucepan, combine 500 ml whole milk, 100 ml heavy cream and 80 g sugar. Warm over medium heat until sugar dissolves and mixture is hot but not boiling (about 75–80°C / 170–175°F). Whisk in the matcha slurry until fully incorporated and uniformly green.

Add gelatin and chill

Remove pan from heat. Stir the bloomed gelatin into the hot matcha milk until fully dissolved (if using agar, ensure it boiled briefly with the milk as required on package). Stir in 0.5 tsp vanilla extract if using. Pour the mixture through a fine sieve into a jug to remove any matcha clumps. Divide evenly into 4 serving glasses or ramekins. Let cool to room temperature, then refrigerate 3–4 hours until set (overnight is fine).

Serve with anko

When pudding is set, top each serving with about 60 g sweet red bean paste (anko). Garnish with a sprinkle of toasted kinako or sesame if desired. Serve chilled.