Ramen Buta-nibo Recipe

Blanch bones

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

Initial simmer

Return blanched bones to the clean pot and add 5 liters fresh cold water. Bring to a gentle simmer (not a rolling boil) over medium heat. Skim scum frequently with a ladle during the first hour.

Add aromatics and long simmer

After 1 hour of simmering, add halved onion, smashed ginger, smashed garlic, and dried shiitake. Reduce heat to maintain a bare simmer and cook for another 4 to 6 hours (total 5–7 hours) to extract collagen and flavor. Add cooking sake in the last 30 minutes of the long simmer. Keep the pot partially covered and continue to skim. Strain the broth through a fine-mesh sieve or cheesecloth into a clean pot and discard solids. Reserve approximately 2.5–3 liters of clear milky pork broth.

Combine niboshi elements

In a separate small pot, place the 80 g heads-removed niboshi and 500 ml water. Bring just to a simmer for 6 minutes to extract the niboshi flavor, then remove from heat and steep 10 minutes. Strain solids and combine niboshi dashi with the pork broth in proportions to taste — recommended starting ratio: 3 parts pork broth to 1 part niboshi dashi. Heat combined broth gently, season with 1 tablespoon salt, and hold warm (keep at about 80–90°C).

Make niboshi oil

Heat neutral oil in a small saucepan over low-medium heat until it reaches 120–140°C (when a small piece of niboshi sizzles gently). Add 40 g whole niboshi and gently fry for 1.5–2 minutes until they darken slightly and become aromatic, being careful not to burn. Remove from heat and let the niboshi steep in the oil for 10 minutes. Strain the oil into a heatproof container and reserve the infused oil (niboshi oil) separately. This will be used as a finishing aromatic (about 60–70 ml oil after straining).

Optional niboshi concentrate

If you prefer a stronger fish flavor, grind the fried niboshi into a paste with 1–2 tsp of the oil or with a splash of broth and stir into the soup to taste. Use sparingly — niboshi is potent.

Prepare tare

Combine soy sauce (100 ml), mirin (50 ml), sake (40 ml), and 1 tsp sugar in a small saucepan. Bring to a gentle simmer for 2–3 minutes to cook off alcohol and dissolve sugar. Remove from heat and cool slightly. Taste and adjust sweetness/saltiness. For each bowl, plan approximately 25 ml (1.5 tbs) of tare — adjust per preference.

Sear and braise

Sear rolled pork belly in a hot skillet until browned on all sides. In a small pot, combine water (500 ml), soy sauce (80 ml), mirin (60 ml), sake (60 ml), sugar (2 tbs), bruised garlic, and sliced ginger. Add the seared pork belly, bring to a gentle simmer, then reduce heat to low and cover. Simmer gently for 1.5 to 2 hours, turning once halfway, until pork is tender but still sliceable.

Cool and slice

Remove pork from liquid, let it rest and cool slightly (preferably refrigerate in braising liquid for at least 1 hour for easier slicing and flavor infusion). Slice into 6–8 mm rounds when ready to serve. Reserve some braising liquid to spoon over slices if desired.

Heat broth to serving temperature (near simmer but not boiling). Prepare tare portions in each bowl: place 25 ml (adjust to taste) of tare in the bottom of each ramen bowl.

Cook the fresh ramen noodles per package instructions in a large pot of rapidly boiling water (usually 90–120 seconds for fresh medium-thick noodles). Stir gently to prevent sticking and cook until just tender (al dente). Drain well using a spider or fine strainer.

Ladle approximately 500–600 ml of hot combined pork-niboshi broth into each bowl over the tare and stir briefly to dissolve the tare evenly. Add 1 teaspoon of niboshi oil per bowl (or a little more if you prefer stronger niboshi aroma).

Place cooked noodles into each bowl. Top each bowl with 2–3 slices of chashu, half a seasoned soft-boiled egg, a sheet of nori, a few tablespoons of menma, a handful of sliced negi, and any optional vegetables (cabbage or bean sprouts). Finish with a drop of sesame oil if desired.

Serve immediately while hot. Provide extra tare and niboshi oil at the table for adjustments.