Shoyu Ramen Recipe

Blanch the bones: place pork bones (and pork shoulder if using) in a large pot and cover with cold water. Bring to a rolling boil over high heat and boil 8 minutes. Drain and rinse bones under cold water; scrub pot to remove scum. This removes impurities for a clearer broth.

Simmer the broth: return cleaned bones to the pot, add 6 cups fresh water, smashed ginger, halved garlic cloves, quartered onion, and dried shiitake. Bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat. Reduce heat to low so the surface barely bubbles. Simmer gently for 2.5–3 hours, skimming any foam every 20–30 minutes.

Add kombu and finish: in the last 20 minutes of simmering, add kombu. If using katsuobushi, remove kombu at 10 minutes then add bonito flakes, simmer 2–3 minutes, then strain. Taste and season with 1 tsp salt. Strain broth through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean pot, discard solids, and keep hot. Reserve about 4 cups of broth for 4 servings; you may concentrate or dilute to taste.

Combine and warm: in a small saucepan combine 3/4 cup soy sauce, 2 tbsp mirin, 2 tbsp sake, 1 tsp brown sugar, minced garlic, grated ginger, and 1 tsp sesame oil. Warm over low heat just until sugar dissolves and garlic becomes fragrant, about 3–4 minutes. Do not boil hard. Remove from heat and let cool slightly. Strain if you prefer a clear tare. Keep at room temperature.

Portion tare: put about 1.5–2 tbsp tare into each ramen bowl (adjust to taste) just before ladling broth.

Roll and sear: tie the pork belly into a tight log with kitchen twine if not already rolled. Heat a small pan and sear all sides until browned for flavor, about 3–4 minutes total.

Braise: place seared pork in a small saucepan. Add 1 cup water, 1/4 cup soy sauce, 2 tbsp mirin, 2 tbsp sake, 1 tbsp brown sugar, smashed ginger, and the white parts of 2 green onions. Bring to a gentle simmer, cover, and braise over low heat 45–60 minutes, turning once, until very tender.

Cool and slice: remove pork from braising liquid, let cool slightly, then refrigerate at least 30 minutes (or overnight) to firm. Slice thinly into rounds before assembling. Reserve braising liquid; a little can be brushed on slices or added to broth for extra flavor.

Prepare eggs: if you don’t have pre-made ajitsuke tamago, soft-boil eggs for 6–7 minutes (for jammy yolk). Immediately transfer to ice water, peel, and marinate in reserved tare or a 1:1 mixture of soy sauce and mirin for at least 1 hour (up to overnight).

Cook noodles and blanch toppings: bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil. Cook ramen noodles according to package instructions (typically 1–3 minutes for fresh). In the last 30 seconds-1 minute, blanch bean sprouts in the same pot. Drain noodles and sprouts together briefly.

Assemble bowls: place 1.5–2 tbsp shoyu tare in each bowl. Add drained noodles and toppings as follows: ladle 1 to 1 1/4 cups hot pork broth per bowl (increase if you prefer more soup), pour over noodles and tare so it dissolves and seasons the soup. Arrange 2–3 slices chashu per bowl, half a marinated soft-boiled egg, 2–3 tbsp menma, a sheet of nori, a sprinkle of sliced green onions, bean sprouts, and 1 tsp sesame seeds. Add chili oil if desired.

Serve immediately: serve hot. Encourage diners to mix tare, broth, noodles, and toppings and enjoy while the broth is steaming.