Hakata Tonkotsu Ramen

Ingredients

• 2 kg pork trotters, split, plus 500 g pork neck bones
• 200 g pork back fat
• 1 onion, halved
• 1 whole head of garlic, halved across
• 40 g fresh ginger, sliced
• 2 spring onion tops
• 4 tbsp soy sauce
• 2 tbsp sake
• 2 tsp fine sea salt
• 1 tsp caster sugar
• 4 portions thin straight ramen noodles, about 120 g each
• 8 slices chashu pork
• 20 g dried kikurage wood ear mushrooms
• 4 tbsp beni shoga pickled red ginger
• 4 tbsp karashi takana pickled mustard greens
• 2 tbsp toasted white sesame seeds
• 4 spring onions, finely sliced
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed to a paste

Before you cook

• Soak the trotters and neck bones in cold water for 1 hour, changing the water twice, until it runs clear.
• Soak the kikurage in cold water for 30 minutes, then drain and shred them finely.
• Halve the onion and the head of garlic, and slice the ginger.
• Mix the soy sauce, sake, salt and sugar in a jug to make the tare.
• Slice the spring onions and crush the garlic cloves to a paste.

Steps

1. Put the drained bones in a stockpot, cover with cold water and bring to a boil.
2. Boil hard for 10 minutes, until a grey scum rises.
3. Drain the bones into the sink and rinse each piece under the tap, scrubbing off every trace of scum.
4. Scrub the pot clean, return the bones, and add the back fat.
5. Pour in 4 litres of cold water and bring it to a boil over high heat.
6. Keep the pot at a hard, rolling boil, not a simmer, and boil uncovered for 6 hours.
7. Top up with boiling water every hour or so to keep the bones submerged.
8. Add the onion, garlic head, ginger and spring onion tops and boil for 1 hour more.
9. Lift out the softened back fat, chop it to a paste on a board and stir it back into the pot.
10. Strain the broth through a colander into a clean pan, pressing the solids to release everything.
11. Taste the broth and boil it down further if it seems thin, aiming for about 1.6 litres of soup the colour of full-fat milk.
12. Bring a large pot of unsalted water to a rolling boil for the noodles.
13. Divide the tare between four warmed bowls, about 2 tablespoons each.
14. Ladle the hot broth into each bowl and stir once.
15. Cook the thin noodles for 45 to 60 seconds only, so they stay firm.
16. Drain the noodles hard and lay them into the bowls in a neat fold.
17. Top each bowl with chashu, shredded kikurage, beni shoga and karashi takana.
18. Scatter over the sesame seeds and spring onions.
19. Add a small dab of crushed garlic to each bowl and serve at once.