Tonkatsu Curry Ramen Recipe

Prepare pork

Trim excess fat from pork chops and, if thick, pound each to about 1/2 inch (12 mm) thickness for even cooking. Season both sides with kosher salt and black pepper.

Coat

Set up a breading station: flour in one shallow dish, beaten eggs in a second, and panko in a third. Dredge each chop first in flour (shake off excess), then dip into beaten egg, then press firmly into panko until well coated.

Fry

Heat neutral oil in a deep skillet or pot to 170-175°C (340-350°F). Fry the breaded pork in batches, 3–4 minutes per side, until golden brown and internal temperature reaches 63°C (145°F). Transfer to a wire rack to rest for 5 minutes, then slice into 1/2-inch strips (tonkatsu style).

Blanch bones (cleaning)

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

Simmer broth

Return cleaned bones to the pot, add 5 liters fresh water, smashed ginger, crushed garlic, quartered onion, scallion whites, kombu, and dried shiitake. Bring to a gentle simmer, skimming any foam periodically. Maintain a bare simmer (not rolling boil) and cook for 6–8 hours to extract collagen and flavor. Add more water as needed to keep bones covered.

Finish broth

About 30 minutes before finishing, remove kombu and shiitake (reserve shiitake if you want to slice into bowls). Stir in soy sauce, mirin, sake, and salt. Taste and adjust seasoning. Strain broth through a fine sieve or cheesecloth into a clean pot and keep hot. If desired, skim fat to preferred richness or leave some for mouthfeel.

Soft-boil eggs

Bring a pot of water to a rapid simmer. Gently lower eggs (at room temperature) into water and cook 6 minutes for jammy, slightly runny yolks. Immediately transfer eggs to an ice bath to stop cooking; chill at least 5 minutes.

Marinate

Combine soy sauce, mirin, water, and sugar in a jar or container and stir until sugar dissolves. Peel cooled eggs carefully. Submerge peeled eggs in the marinade (use a small bag to remove air so eggs remain covered) and refrigerate at least 4 hours, ideally overnight, up to 24 hours. Remove eggs and slice in half lengthwise before serving.

Prep toppings

Rehydrate dried wakame in warm water for 5 minutes, then drain and squeeze excess water. Warm bamboo shoots and corn if using refrigerated/canned; slice scallions thinly; cut nori into strips.

Cook noodles

Bring a separate pot of water to a rolling boil. Cook ramen noodles according to package instructions (usually 1–3 minutes for fresh, slightly longer for dried), stirring to separate. Drain noodles briefly in a colander and portion into four bowls.

Heat broths & finish

Bring strained pork broth to a gentle simmer. If desired, stir in 1 tsp sesame oil per pot for aroma. Ladle ~600 ml (adjust to bowl size) of hot broth over noodles in each bowl.

Assemble bowls

Top each bowl of noodles and broth with: 1 sliced tonkatsu portion, 1 halved marinated egg, 2–3 tbsp bamboo shoots, 2 tbsp corn, 1/2 tbsp rehydrated wakame, a sprinkle of scallion greens (1 tbsp), 1/2 sheet nori (or strips), and a pinch (about 1/4 tsp) of itokiri togarashi per bowl. Garnish with toasted sesame seeds if using.