Spicy Shoyu Ramen Recipe

Blanch pork bones and chicken: in a large stockpot, add bones and cover with cold water. Bring to a rolling boil over high heat for 10 minutes to remove impurities. Skim scum, then drain and rinse bones under hot water. Clean the pot.

Roast aromatics: in a dry skillet over medium heat, toast sliced ginger, smashed garlic, and white parts of green onions until slightly charred, about 3–4 minutes. This step deepens flavor.

Combine and simmer: return cleaned bones to the stockpot, add roasted aromatics, dried shiitake, kombu, and 6 liters of fresh water. Bring to a boil, then immediately reduce to a vigorous simmer. Maintain a gentle but steady simmer, uncovered or partially covered, for 6–8 hours, occasionally skimming fat and scum. Add a splash of neutral oil early on to help emulsify the collagen into the broth.

Finish and strain: with 1–2 hours remaining, remove kombu (to prevent bitterness). When broth has achieved a creamy, opaque tonkotsu texture (collagen broken down), remove from heat. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve lined with cheesecloth into a clean pot. Discard solids. Keep broth hot; season later with tare and salt to taste.

Make the tare base: in a small saucepan, combine dark and light soy sauces, mirin, sake, brown sugar, bonito flakes, minced garlic, and chili bean paste. Bring to a gentle simmer over medium-low heat for 4–5 minutes to meld flavors. Do not boil aggressively—just simmer to dissolve sugar and bloom bonito. Remove from heat and let steep 10 minutes.

Strain and store: strain tare into a jar, pressing on bonito to extract flavor. Stir in toasted sesame oil. Taste and adjust: it should be intensely salty and umami-forward (concentrated). Set aside at room temperature or refrigerate for up to 1 week.

Prepare spicy oil (rayu): in a small heatproof bowl, combine red pepper flakes and Sichuan peppercorns with thinly sliced garlic and smashed ginger. Heat neutral oil in a small saucepan to 180°C / 350°F (hot but not smoking). Carefully pour the hot oil over the chili mixture—oil will bubble and sizzle. Let cool to room temperature, then stir in 1 tsp soy sauce. Strain if desired for a clear oil or leave solids for texture. Store in a jar; a spoonful will be used per bowl.

Sear and roll pork: tie rolled pork belly securely with kitchen twine. In a hot skillet, sear all sides until golden brown, about 2–3 minutes per side.

Braise: place seared pork into a pot with 1 liter water, soy sauce, mirin, sake, brown sugar, smashed garlic, green onion whites, and sliced ginger. Bring to a simmer, cover, and braise gently for 1.5–2 hours, turning occasionally, until very tender and easily pierced with a skewer.

Cool in braising liquid: let the pork cool in the braising liquid to absorb flavor, at least 30 minutes (longer for deeper flavor). Remove, reserve braising liquid. Refrigerate the pork until firm for easier slicing. Slice into 8–12 thin rounds when ready to serve.

Soft-boil eggs: bring a pot of water to a gentle boil. Lower 6 large eggs with a slotted spoon and cook 6 to 7 minutes for jammy yolks (6:30 is a good starting point). Prepare an ice bath while eggs cook.

Ice bath and peel: immediately transfer eggs to the ice bath for 5–7 minutes to stop cooking. Gently crack and peel shells.

Make marinade and marinate: combine soy sauce, mirin, water, and sugar in a container. Submerge peeled eggs in the marinade; weigh them down if necessary. Marinate in the refrigerator for 6–12 hours for best flavor (up to 24 hours). Remove eggs and slice in half when assembling bowls.

Prepare toppings: blanch napa cabbage (or bok choy) and bean sprouts in boiling water for 30–45 seconds until tender-crisp. Drain and set aside. Warm menma if chilled.

Cook noodles: bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil. Cook fresh ramen noodles according to package instructions (usually 45–90 seconds). Do not overcook; they should be just tender. Drain well.

Heat broth: reheat strained tonkotsu broth to a simmer. Taste and adjust seasoning by stirring in shoyu-tare: for each serving, add about 1 to 2 tablespoons (15–30 ml) of tare to the bottom of a serving bowl, then add a teaspoon of spicy oil (more if you want heat). Ladle 500–600 ml hot broth over tare and stir to combine. Adjust salt/white pepper to taste.

Assemble bowls: place cooked noodles into the seasoned broth. Arrange 2–3 slices chashu on top, half an ajitsuke egg, blanched vegetables, menma, bean sprouts, a sheet of nori, and a sprinkle of green onions and toasted sesame seeds. Finish with extra chili oil or threads if desired.

Final seasoning: taste one bowl and adjust with additional tare, salt, white pepper, or spicy oil to reach desired balance of savory, salty, and spicy.

Serve immediately: ramen is best enjoyed hot and fresh. Provide spoons and chopsticks. Leftover broth can be refrigerated for up to 3 days or frozen for longer storage; reheat gently and skim fat if desired.