48-Hour Tonkotsu Ramen with Pork Belly + Hibachi-Style Egg Fried Rice (Serves 6â8)
TIMELINE
Day 1
Blanch and clean pork bones.
Start broth.
Day 2
Continue broth.
Prepare tare.
Make black garlic oil.
Braise pork belly.
Marinate ramen eggs overnight.
Day 3
Finish broth.
Slice and sear pork belly.
Cook noodles.
Make fried rice.
Assemble ramen.
TONKOTSU BROTH
Ingredients
Bones
12 lb pork femur bones
4 lb pork neck bones
2 lb pork feet
Aromatics
2 onions, halved
2 whole heads garlic, halved
2 leeks
1 bunch green onions
3-inch ginger, sliced
8 dried shiitake mushrooms (optional)
Water as needed
Method
Place bones in a large stock pot and cover with water.
Bring to a boil for 20 minutes.
Drain completely.
Scrub and rinse every bone until perfectly clean.
Wash the stock pot.
Return bones to the pot and cover with fresh water.
Bring to a rolling boil (not a gentle simmer).
Maintain a strong boil for 48 hours, adding water whenever necessary.
After 12 hours, add onions, garlic, ginger, leeks, green onions, and shiitakes.
During the final 4 hours, remove the vegetables if they begin breaking apart.
Blend the broth with an immersion blender for about 30 seconds to emulsify the fat.
Strain through a fine mesh strainer.
Keep hot.
PORK BELLY CHASHU
Ingredients
3 lb skinless pork belly
Braising Liquid
1 cup soy sauce
1 cup mirin
1 cup sake
½ cup brown sugar
1 onion, sliced
8 garlic cloves
2-inch ginger
2 green onions
Method
Roll and tie the pork belly.
Sear all sides until browned.
Add all braising ingredients.
Cover and cook at 300°F for 3½ hours.
Cool completely in the braising liquid.
Refrigerate overnight.
Slice while cold.
Before serving, sear slices with a torch or in a hot skillet.
AJITAMA (RAMEN EGGS)
Ingredients
6 eggs
Marinade
½ cup soy sauce
½ cup mirin
½ cup water
2 tbsp sake
Method
Boil eggs for 6½ minutes.
Transfer immediately to an ice bath.
Peel.
Marinate overnight.
TONKOTSU TARE
Mix together:
1 cup soy sauce
Âź cup mirin
Âź cup sake
2 tbsp fish sauce
1 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp kosher salt
1 tsp MSG
Warm gently until dissolved.
BLACK GARLIC OIL (MAYU)
Ingredients
1 cup neutral oil
15 garlic cloves
Cook garlic until almost black.
Blend with oil.
Strain.
RAMEN TOPPINGS
Pork belly chashu
Ajitama egg
Bamboo shoots
Green onions
Nori
Toasted sesame seeds
Black garlic oil
RAMEN NOODLES
Use fresh ramen noodles.
Boil 60â90 seconds.
Drain well.
ASSEMBLY (PER BOWL)
2 tbsp tare
12â14 oz hot tonkotsu broth
Fresh ramen noodles
3â4 slices pork belly
½ marinated egg
Bamboo shoots
Green onions
Nori
Toasted sesame seeds
1 tsp black garlic oil
Serve immediately.
HIBACHI-STYLE EGG FRIED RICE
Ingredients
6 cups cold cooked jasmine rice
4 eggs
2 tbsp neutral oil
4 tbsp butter
1 medium onion, finely diced
2 carrots, finely diced
1 cup peas
5 garlic cloves, minced
Garlic Butter
6 tbsp softened butter
3 grated garlic cloves
Pinch of salt
Sauce
3 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp oyster sauce
1 tsp sesame oil
1 tsp MSG (optional)
½ tsp white pepper
Method
Mix together the garlic butter ingredients.
Heat a wok until smoking hot.
Add oil.
Scramble eggs until just set and remove.
Add garlic butter.
Cook onions until lightly caramelized.
Add carrots and cook 3 minutes.
Add peas.
Add cold rice and break apart every grain.
Stir-fry over high heat until lightly toasted.
Return eggs.
Add soy sauce, oyster sauce, sesame oil, MSG, and white pepper.
Toss constantly over high heat.
Finish with extra garlic butter and chopped green onions.
CHEFâS TIPS
A rolling boilânot a gentle simmerâis the secret to creamy, white tonkotsu broth.
Pork feet provide the collagen that gives the broth its rich, silky body.
Blend the finished broth briefly before straining to emulsify the fat for a true ramen-shop texture.
Refrigerate the pork belly overnight before slicing to achieve clean, even slices.
Use day-old cold rice for fried rice to keep the grains separate.
Cook the fried rice over very high heat for the best wok hei (smoky flavor).
Finish the pork belly with a torch or hot skillet just before serving for a caramelized exterior.