Beast Bowl Recipe

1. Preheat oven to 425°F (220°C). Place beef bones, oxtail, and short ribs on a roasting pan and roast 30–40 minutes until deeply browned, turning once. This builds caramelized flavor for the broth.

2. Transfer roasted bones and meat to a large stockpot. Add carrot, halved onion, smashed ginger, smashed garlic, kombu, dried shiitakes and 5 cups cold water. Bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat (do not vigorously boil) and skim any scum that rises for the first 20–30 minutes.

3. Reduce heat to low and simmer, partially covered, 3–4 hours. After 2 hours check kombu; remove if broth smells overly seaweedy. Continue simmering until meat from oxtail/short ribs begins to fall from the bone and bones release collagen.

4. Strain broth through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean pot, pressing solids to extract liquid. Discard solids or reserve meat for filling as directed below. Degrease the broth by refrigeration for several hours then skimming fat, or use a fat separator. Return strained broth to pot, bring to a simmer and season with soy sauce, mirin, salt and pepper to taste. Keep warm.

5. While the broth simmers, season brisket and short ribs with salt and pepper. Heat 2 tbs vegetable oil in a heavy skillet over medium-high heat and brown the brisket and short ribs on all sides, 3–4 minutes per side, to develop crust.

6. Remove meat and in the same pan sauté the thinly sliced onion until soft, 4–5 minutes. Add minced garlic and cook 30 seconds until fragrant.

7. Return browned meat to the pan, add 1 cup beef stock (or reserved broth), 2 tbs soy sauce, 1 tbs brown sugar and 1 tsp rice vinegar. Bring to a simmer, then cover and transfer to a low oven (300°F / 150°C) or continue simmering on the stove, braising 2–2½ hours until meat is fork-tender.

8. Remove meat and let rest until cool enough to handle. Reserve 1 cup of braising liquid to fold into wonton filling and to adjust ramen seasoning. Finely chop or shred the brisket and short rib for use in the wonton filling and for topping the bowls.

9. Collect reserved cooked meats: chopped brisket, short rib and shredded oxtail. Combine ½ cup brisket, ½ cup short rib and ½ cup shredded oxtail in a bowl. Add 2 tbs sliced green onion, 1 tsp grated ginger, 1 tsp soy sauce, 1 tsp sesame oil and 1 tsp cornstarch if mixture seems loose. Mix until well combined.

10. Place a wonton wrapper on a clean surface. Beat the egg in a small bowl and use as glue on the wrapper edges. Spoon about 1 teaspoon of filling into the center of each wrapper (adjust to wrapper size). Wet edges with beaten egg, fold to form a triangle, press to seal, then bring two opposite corners together and press to seal into a traditional wonton shape. Repeat for remaining wrappers (about 24 wontons).

11. Bring a pot of salted water to a gentle boil. Cook wontons in batches for 3–4 minutes until wrappers are translucent and filling is heated. Remove with a slotted spoon and immediately transfer to a bowl of warm broth when assembling bowls. Alternatively, lightly pan-fry wontons in oil 2–3 minutes per side for a crisp variation before adding to bowls.

12. Prepare soft-boiled eggs: Bring a small pot of water to a gentle boil. Carefully lower in eggs and simmer exactly 6–7 minutes for jammy yolks. Transfer eggs to an ice bath for 5 minutes, peel and halve.

13. Cook fresh ramen noodles according to package directions in boiling water (usually 2–3 minutes) until just tender. Drain and rinse briefly under hot water to remove excess starch. If using dried noodles, cook 4–5 minutes or per package.

14. Blanch spinach or bok choy for 30–45 seconds in boiling water until bright green. Drain and set aside.

15. Warm any menma and corn briefly in a small pan or in the broth so they’re ready to dress the bowl.

16. Reheat the strained broth to a rolling simmer. Taste and adjust with up to 1 tsp soy sauce, 1 tsp sesame oil and salt as needed. Keep hot.

17. Divide cooked noodles between two large bowls (serves 2). Ladle hot broth over noodles to just cover (about 2 cups broth per bowl).

18. Arrange 6–8 wontons in each bowl (or desired amount), distributing brisket/short rib/oxtail pieces evenly. Top with halved soft-boiled egg, blanched greens, menma, corn, sliced scallions and nori strips.

19. Finish with a drizzle of sesame oil, a sprinkle of toasted sesame seeds and optional chili oil or togarashi. Garnish with cilantro if using. Serve immediately.