Kaedama Tonkotsu
- Level: Advanced
- Yield: 4 to 5 portions
- Total: 13 hr 50 min (includes chilling time)
- Active: 2 hr 35 min
Ingredients
Tonkotsu Broth:
5 pounds pig trotters, cut in half lengthwise (see Cook's Note)
Chashu (Braised Pork Belly):
1 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 ounces fresh ginger, sliced thinly
1 teaspoon salt
6 cloves garlic
1 small onion, sliced thinly
1 pound pork belly with skin
Dashi Tare (Broth Seasoning):
2 tablespoons dashi powder
1 tablespoon salt
1 teaspoon granulated sugar
2 ounces fresh ginger, minced
10 cloves garlic, minced
Marinated Soft-Boiled Egg:
6 eggs
1 cup soy sauce
1 teaspoon brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon ginger powder
2 quarts ice water
Mayu (Blackened Garlic Oil):
15 cloves garlic, minced finely or pressed
1/2 cup canola oil
1/2 cup sesame oil
Noodles and Toppings:
Four to five 4-ounce portions fresh ramen noodles, preferably Sun Noodle brand
2 bunches scallions, sliced thinly
3 ounces enoki mushrooms with the bottoms cut off
1 log narutomaki, sliced
1 ounce pork fluff (pork fu)
1 ounce black and white sesame seeds
Directions
- For the tonkotsu broth: Place the pig trotters in a large pot with 1 gallon water. Bring to a boil, then let boil for 15 to 20 minutes. Drain water, then refill the pot with fresh water. Bring to a boil, skim the scum off the surface, cover the pot and boil for 12 hours, checking the water level every hour. Strain the broth with a fine-mesh strainer.
- For the chashu: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Mix soy sauce, brown sugar, ginger, salt, garlic and onion in a deep baking dish. Place pork belly in dish skin-side down. Wrap dish in plastic wrap, then wrap in foil and bake for 1 1/2 hours. Take dish out of the oven and gently flip the pork belly over so that the skin side is now facing up. Reapply plastic wrap and foil, then bake an additional 1 1/2 hours. Remove the pork belly to a sheet pan skin-side up and refrigerate until completely chilled, 6 hours to overnight. Slice 1/4-inch thick.
- For the dashi tare: Blend together dashi, salt, granulated sugar, ginger, garlic and 1 1/2 cups water. Bring mixture to a simmer for 60 seconds, then let cool.
- For the marinated soft-boiled eggs: Bring 2 quarts water to boil in a medium pot. Gently place eggs in water and boil for 7 minutes. Meanwhile, mix soy sauce, brown sugar, garlic powder, onion powder and ginger powder together in a bowl, then set mixture aside.
- Remove eggs from the boiling water with a slotted spoon and gently place them into ice water; let sit for 10 minutes. Remove and peel the eggs, then place them in the marinade. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour but no more than 8 hours.
- For the mayu: Place garlic and canola oil in a pan on medium-high heat. Cook, stirring, until garlic just starts to brown. Reduce heat as low as it will go and cook, stirring constantly, until garlic turns jet black. Let cool. Once oil is cool, blend until garlic is pulverized. Add sesame oil and mix.
- For the noodles and toppings: Bring 4 quarts water to a boil in a large pot. Place one 4-ounce portion noodles in a noodle basket and drop basket into boiling water for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent noodles from clumping. Meanwhile, place a slice of chashu in a preheated cast-iron skillet on medium heat. When noodles are done cooking, place them in a bowl along with 2 ounces tare and 14 ounces tonkotsu broth. Top bowl with a small handful sliced scallions, a small bunch enoki mushrooms, 2 slices of narutomaki, the charred slice chashu and half of a marinated egg cut lengthwise. Finish with a pinch of pork fluff placed atop the egg, a drizzle of mayu around the edge of the bowl and a sprinkling of sesame seeds. Repeat with remaining materials to make 3 to 4 more bowls.
Cook’s Note
Don't attempt to cut the pig trotters yourself. Your butcher will do it for you. Make sure to take the eggs out of the marinade after a maximum of 8 hours, otherwise the salt from the soy sauce will harden that yummy runny yolk in the center. The mayu is a little scary to make, because you are literally burning garlic. But as long as it is done slowly, you will be rewarded with a delicious roasted flavor.