Tonkotsu Ramen

Place 2000g split pork trotters, 1000g pork neck bones, and 500g rolled tied pork belly in a large 10L stock pot, cover with cold water by 5cm, and bring to a rolling boil over high heat (approximately 10 minutes). Boil for 10 full minutes, skimming all grey, foamy scum that rises to the surface with a mesh skimmer. Drain all bones and pork belly, rinsing thoroughly under cold running water to remove any remaining residue, then scrub the pot completely clean of stuck-on particles.

Return the clean, blanched bones and pork belly to the scrubbed stock pot, pour in 8000ml cold water, and bring to a gentle boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low to maintain a constant, low rolling boil (avoid violent, turbulent bubbling) for 12 total hours. Check the pot every 1 hour, topping up with boiling water as needed to keep bones fully submerged; never add cold water, as this will disrupt the emulsification process. After 10 hours of simmering, add 200g halved yellow onion, 50g halved garlic head, 50g sliced ginger, and 100g cut leek to the pot, simmering for the remaining 2 hours. Once done, the broth will be opaque, milky pale white, and thick enough to lightly coat a spoon. Use tongs to remove the cooked pork belly and set aside to cool for chashu, then strain the broth through a cheesecloth-lined fine-mesh sieve, discarding all solids. Keep strained broth warm over the lowest heat setting.

During the final 2 hours of broth simmering, combine 120ml soy sauce, 60ml mirin, 60ml cooking sake, 2 tablespoons light brown sugar, 10g sliced ginger, and 2 crushed garlic cloves in a small saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a gentle simmer, stirring occasionally to dissolve the sugar, then reduce heat to low and cook for 8 minutes until the liquid is reduced by one-quarter and deeply fragrant. Strain out all solid bits, then divide the tare evenly between 4 large deep ramen bowls (approximately 3 tablespoons per bowl).

Bring a separate large pot of unsalted water to a rolling boil over high heat. Add 800g fresh tonkotsu ramen noodles, stirring immediately with long chopsticks to prevent clumping. Cook for exactly 2 minutes (do not overcook—noodles should be springy with a slight firm bite), then drain thoroughly, shaking off all excess water. Do not rinse the noodles, as the surface starch helps the broth cling evenly to each strand.

Ladle 400ml of hot, strained tonkotsu broth into each prepared bowl with tare, stirring gently with a spoon to fully combine the tare with the creamy broth. Divide the drained hot noodles evenly between the 4 bowls, twisting the noodles with kitchen tongs to create a neat, elevated mound in the center of each bowl. Thinly slice the cooled chashu pork belly into 5mm thick pieces, and arrange 3-4 slices per bowl, fanned slightly, on top of the noodles.

Finish each bowl with 30g menma, 2 slices narutomaki, 1 halved soft-boiled marinated egg, 1 tablespoon sliced scallions, 1 nori sheet propped against the noodle mound, a pinch of ground white pepper, and a 1/4 teaspoon drizzle of toasted sesame oil. Serve immediately while the broth is piping hot, paired with long chopsticks and a wide-brimmed ramen spoon.