Tonkotsu ramen
Deep, milky pork-bone broth with melt-in-the-mouth chashu, seasoned tare and ajitsuke tamago — proper soul-warming ramen.
Tonkotsu ramen is all about time and technique: pork bones simmered until the broth turns creamy and whisper-thin collagen gives you that silky mouthfeel. It’s an indulgent weekend project but the results repay the effort — think deep pork savour, soft, soy-sweet eggs and slices of sticky chashu.
Make it when you have a free day and a good stockpot. The long simmer is mostly hands-off; the key moments are an initial, furious blanch and keeping the simmer vigorous so the broth emulsifies properly. Serve with fresh ramen noodles and go full on with toppings.
Ingredients
- 1 kg pork trotters
- 1 kg pork neck bones
- 700 g pork shoulder — for chashu
- 150 g pork fatback — to render lard / finish
- 1 brown onion — large, halved
- 10 garlic cloves — some halved for charring; some for chashu
- 80 g fresh ginger — roughly sliced
- 1 leek — white part only, halved lengthways
- 4 1/2 l water — approximately, for the broth
- 150 ml soy sauce — for tare and chashu marinade
- 100 ml mirin — for tare and chashu
- 100 ml sake — for tare and chashu
- 30 g caster sugar — for tare and chashu
- 20 g sea salt — to taste when seasoning the broth
- 400 g fresh ramen noodles — fresh preferred; adjust cooking time if dried/frozen
- 4 large eggs — for ajitsuke tamago
- 4 nori sheets — for serving
- 4 spring onions — finely sliced, for garnish
- 200 g pickled bamboo shoots (menma) — shop-bought
- 10 g toasted sesame seeds — for garnish
- 30 ml vegetable oil — for searing chashu
Equipment
- very large stockpot (8–12 litres)
- fine-mesh sieve
- cheesecloth
- ovenproof dish or roasting tin
- large sieve or ladle for skimming
Instructions
Blanch the bones to remove surface blood and impurities. Put pork trotters and pork neck bones in a very large stockpot and cover with cold water. Bring to a vigorous rolling boil, boil hard for 10 minutes, then drain. Rinse the bones and the pot under cold water and scrub away any scum.
Char the aromatics to add depth. Halve the brown onion, slice the fresh ginger, split the leek and halve 4 of the garlic cloves. Either place under a hot grill or char in a dry frying pan until well browned (about 8–10 minutes), turning so they colour evenly. Set aside.
Return the cleaned bones to the stockpot. Add the charred aromatics and the remaining whole garlic cloves, then cover with the measured water. Bring to a full rolling boil over high heat, then reduce to a vigorous simmer (not a gentle poach) and maintain for 10 hours, uncovered. Skim any scum or foam from the surface frequently during the first 1–2 hours.
Prepare the tare (seasoning base). In a small saucepan combine soy sauce, mirin, sake and caster sugar. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook for 3–5 minutes until the sugar dissolves. Remove from the heat and leave to cool. Reserve half for chashu braise and half for finishing bowls.
Prepare the chashu. Trim and roll the pork shoulder and tie with kitchen string in 3–4 places. Heat the vegetable oil in a frying pan and sear the pork all over until well browned (about 4–5 minutes). Transfer to an ovenproof dish, add half the prepared tare and enough water to come halfway up the meat, add 2 crushed garlic cloves and a few slices of fresh ginger.
Braise the chashu in the oven. Cover the dish tightly with foil and bake at 160°C fan/180°C conventional for 90 minutes. Turn the meat once halfway through. When cooked, remove from the oven and let the braising liquid cool slightly.
Render the pork fatback to make finishing lard. Chop the pork fatback into small pieces and place in a small saucepan over low heat. Gently melt until the fat is liquid and the solids are crisp (about 30 minutes). Strain the liquid fat into a clean jar and reserve the crispy bits for another use or discard.
Make ajitsuke tamago (marinated soft-boiled eggs). Bring a saucepan of water to the boil and gently lower in the large eggs. Boil for 6 minutes, then transfer immediately to an ice bath and cool for 10 minutes. Peel carefully.
Marinate the peeled eggs in the cooled tare. Place the eggs in a shallow dish and cover with the remaining cooled tare (from step 4), adding a little water if needed to cover. Marinate in the fridge for at least 6 hours, ideally overnight.
Finish the broth. After the 10-hour simmer, strain the stock through a fine-mesh sieve lined with cheesecloth into another large pot. Press on the solids to extract liquid, discard solids. Skim again and season the broth lightly with sea salt. Keep the broth hot on a low heat.
Slice and rest the chashu. Remove the string, slice the pork shoulder into 6–8 mm rounds. If you like neat slices, chill them for 30 minutes to firm up before slicing.
Cook the fresh ramen noodles. Bring a separate pot of water to a rapid boil and cook the fresh ramen noodles for 90–120 seconds according to the packet. Drain quickly.
Assemble the bowls. Put 1–2 tablespoons of the tare into each warmed bowl (adjust to taste). Add cooked noodles, ladle over the hot tonkotsu broth, top with 2–3 slices of chashu, one marinated egg halved, a small handful of pickled bamboo shoots, a sheet of nori, sliced spring onions and a scattering of toasted sesame seeds. Finish with a teaspoon of the rendered pork fat if you like extra richness.
Tips
- Maintain a vigorous simmer (not a gentle one) for an emulsified, milky broth — if you only poach it will stay thin.
- Blanch and rinse the bones thoroughly before the long cook to avoid a bitter, cloudy flavour.
- If you don’t have space on the hob for a 10-hour simmer, a large slow cooker or pressure cooker can shorten hands-on time (pressure cooker needs less time but a different technique).
- Slice chashu neat by chilling it briefly after braising — it firms up and cuts cleanly.
- Make the tare and eggs ahead; eggs can marinate up to 24 hours and improve in flavour overnight.
Substitutions
pork trotters → use an extra 1 kg pork neck bones if trotters are unavailable
Stays closefresh ramen noodles → use dried ramen-style noodles, but reduce cooking time according to packet (texture will be slightly different)
Noticeably differentpork fatback → use butter or neutral oil to finish bowls if fatback is unavailable (adds flavour but not the exact pork character)
Noticeably differentpickled bamboo shoots (menma) → use blanched courgette ribbons tossed in a little rice vinegar for crunch if menma is unavailable
Noticeably different
Nutrition
Per serving · estimated
- 915
- Calories
- 45 g
- Protein
- 60 g
- Carbs
- 55 g
- Fat
- 4 g
- Fibre
- 6 g
- Sugar
- 1500 mg
- Sodium
FAQ
How long does the broth need to simmer for a proper tonkotsu?
Traditional tonkotsu needs a long, vigorous simmer — 8–12 hours is common. I recommend around 10 hours for a rich, milky emulsion.
Can I speed this up in a pressure cooker?
Yes — a pressure cooker can reduce stock time dramatically (often to 2–3 hours) and still extract collagen, but the flavour and texture differ slightly from the low-and-slow emulsion produced by a long simmer.
My broth separated after straining — how do I fix it?
Keep the strained broth hot at a gentle heat and whisk in a little of the rendered pork fat — avoid hard boiling after straining. If separation occurs, a quick whisk will usually re-emulsify it.
How should I store leftovers?
Cool broth quickly and refrigerate up to 3 days or freeze in portions for 2–3 months. Chashu keeps 3–4 days refrigerated; slice before reheating for easier portions.
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