This post may have been a year in the making, but I've been working on this tonkotsu ramen for the better part of the last decade. In case you haven't been indoctrinated into the wonderful world of ramen, Tonkotsu broth is the Holy Grail of noodle soup broths. It's thick, creamy and nearly white in color from pork marrow bones that have been simmered to smithereens.
Given the availability of reasonably good frozen ramens, and the plethora of shops specializing in the one bowl meal, most sane people in Japan don't undertake the challenge of making ramen at home from scratch. I don't know if I'm just crazy or if it's my fearless American spirit, but at some point in college, it occurred to me that I could make the one bowl wonder that got me through many an all-nighter... from scratch.
My first attempts were pale watery excuses for ramen. Actually, they were more like noodles in pork soup. Over the years, my attempts yielded broths that were too porky, too brown, or too canned-meat tasting. Eventually, I got the soup to a place where you could pass it off as ramen to the less experienced palate (which was when I started writing this post), but it never quite nailed the nuanced balance of meat, aromatics, and body.
So how did I figure it out? During my recent trip to Japan, I had many bowls of ramen, each with its own distinct character and personality. Some used chicken stock, others included pork. I even had one ramen that was made of tuna stock. I think I was in the middle of a bowl of chicken consommé ramen with bacon, mozzarella and fried burdock on top when it occurred to me that perhaps limiting myself to a 100% pork broth wasn't the right approach for the type of stock I was trying to create.
I had another epiphany at Ramen Stadium, in Fukuoka, where I hopped from restaurant to restaurant, gorging on Tonkotsu Ramen. Many of the broths had a dark oil that I'd always assumed was sesame oil. Upon closer inspection, some of the soups revealed caramelized bits of onion that were nearly burnt. The research of Louis Camille Maillard came to mind and I realized that a lot of the nuances in the broth were not coming from the meat, but from the caramelized aromatics in the broth.
Back at home, with bags of chicken and pork bones in hand, I set to work recreating the flavors and memories while they were still fresh in my mind. And the results? Well, let's just say I won't be standing in line for hours outside Ippudo this winter. To say it's better than Ippudo's would be a stretch, but does it make your lips sticky with collagen? Yes! Does it have little creamy nibbles of pork fat floating in the broth? Certainly! Does it put a big grin on your face when the steaming bowl is set in front of you? Hell yea!
Mission accomplished.
The toppings are up to you, but I usually go with the standards like chashu, menma , woodear and scallions. If you want some chashu similar to Santouka Ramen's Toroniku, here's a recipe for my version. To give a Kagoshima flair, I finish each bowl with a drizzle of mayu (black garlic oil). It's technically burnt garlic and it's not something you'd want to eat alone, but mixed into tonkotsu ramen, it's divine!
This recipe makes enough Tonkotsu base for 6-8 bowls of ramen (depending on how much water you add), and the Tonkotsu Ramen recipe below makes 2 bowls.
Next, I need to find some kansui so I can tackle the noodle making as I'm not super happy with the noodles I get in Chinatown.
Recipe
Tonkotsu Ramen
Ingredients
- 2 pig trotters (cut in half lengthwise)
- 1.5 pounds pork leg bone (cut into several pieces)
- 1.5 pounds chicken bones
- 2 inch knob fresh ginger (sliced thin)
- 1 small head garlic (trimmed but whole)
- 1 large onion (sliced thinly)
- 1 teaspoon white peppercorns
- ¼ cup toasted sesame oil
- 5 cloves garlic grated
- 3 cups Tonkotsu base (from recipe above)
- 1 tablespoon tahini
- 1 tablespoon strained braising liquid from chashu
- 2 cloves garlic finely grated (not pressed)
- 1 - 2 teaspoons kosher salt (to taste)
- 1 teaspoon mirin
- ⅛ teaspoon ground white pepper
- 1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds coarsely ground
- 2 tablespoons fatback finely minced (salted pork fat)
- ½ batch fresh ramen noodles
- 2 teaspoons mayu (from recipe above)
- sliced chashu
- 2 scallions finely chopped
Instructions
- Fill a pressure cooker ⅔rds of the way with water and bring to a boil. Add the pig trotters to the boiling water and cook until you stop seeing red blood come out of the bones (about 10-15 minutes). The idea is to draw out as much of the gunk as possible into this first batch of water. Transfer the trotters to a bowl of cold water then repeat with the leg bones and chicken bones (you can use the same water).
- Dump the now very dirty water down the drain and wash the pot. Scrub any dark brown scrum off all the bones and rinse them thoroughly. Return the cleaned bones to the pot and cover with water (the water should come up an inch above the top of the bones). Bring the pot to a boil and skim off any chunks or foam that floats to the surface. Keep doing this until you don't seen any more foam or scum floating up. This will take about 30 minutes.
- While the bones are going, Heat ½" of oil in a pot over medium heat and add the head of garlic and ginger. Fry this until they are browned and shriveled up. Use a slotted or wire mesh to transfer the ginger and garlic to a bowl. Add the onions to the oil and fry these until caramelized and shriveled. Add the fried onions to the ginger and garlic and set aside.
- Once the stock is scum-free, add the caramelized ginger, garlic, and onions, along with the white pepper to the stock. Affix the pressure cooker lid and cook on high pressure for 1 hour and 45 minutes. If you don't have a pressure cooker, cover with a lid and cook at a boil for 5-6 hours (you may need to check and add water periodically, the bones should be mostly covered in water).
- Once the pressure is released use tongs to remove and discard all the bones. Remove any chunks of pork and set aside for another use. Strain the stock into a bowl and skim off any excess fat.
- To make the black garlic oil, add the sesame oil into a small saucepan along with the grated garlic. Put the pan over medium low heat and let the garlic cook stirring occasionally until it is very dark brown. When the garlic is very dark, turn the heat down to low and let it cook until it is black.
- As soon as it hits black, turn off the heat and transfer the hot oil and garlic to a heatproof bowl. Let this mixture cool down completely. Add the cooled oil to a blender or food processor and blitz until there are no visible garlic particles left and the oil is uniformly black.
- It will taste burnt and slightly bitter, but this is okay as you only add a little bit to each bowl. Put it the oil in a container and refrigerate until you are ready to use it.
- Heat the tonkotsu base in a sauce pan. In a bowl whisk together the tahini, chashu liquid, grated garlic, salt, mirin and white pepper. Add this to the hot broth and whisk to combine. Taste and adjust salt as needed. Bring to a simmer, then add the sesame seeds and pork fat and whisk to combine.
- Split the cooked noodles between two bowls. Pour the tonkotsu soup over the noodles. Top with chashu, scallions and whatever else you want to add. Finish the ramen with a drizzle of mayu on each bowl.
Notes
- To get the creamy white soup it's important that you use pork leg bones and the trotters. The white color comes from the marrow and collagen in these parts. Using other types of pork bones such as ribs or neck bones will not give your soup the richness or color.
- Don't omit the fatback (salted pork fat). Most of the fat from the stock gets skimmed out, and the fat added at the last minute is what gives the soup it's rich "sticky" quality. By whisking small bits of minced fatback in at the end, you create an emulsion of soup and fat, so it makes the soup nice and creamy without being greasy. If you're having a hard time finding it, try asking for it at a butcher.
- The onions should be a deep brown, but they should not be burnt, if they are browning unevenly, turn the heat down, so they brown more slowly.
- Tahini is not the same as toasted sesame paste. It should be light beige in color and have a thick pourable consistency. If your grocery store doesn't carry it, try finding a Middle Eastern or Indian grocery store. I use a brand called "Al Wadi" that comes in a plastic container with a green label and lid and has a relatively mellow flavor. If you can't get tahini you can also grind your own sesame seeds until you have something resembling runny peanut butter.
- Salt has different levels of salinity depending on the type and brand. Even amongst kosher salt, Morton's for example is much more salty than Diamond Crystal (which I use). Most recipes deliberately go low on the amount of salt you should use so you don't accidentally over salt your dish. If you feel like it needs more salt, by all means, add more salt.
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Russ Paulsen says
Trying to recreate what we had in LA and this all looked right. The base was delicious, but the finished soup was way, way overwhelmed by garlic. Do you really mean one raw clove per bowl?
chefgodzilla says
salted pork fat is not available..only pork fat or actual "salt pork"
what do you suggest?
Marc Matsumoto says
The gelatin is from the melted collagen in the soup and is what gives it the richness (i.e. it's a good thing). When you reheat it, it will melt. The fridge is fine for up to a week, if you intend to keep it longer, freeze it.
Yooniverse says
I guess I over caramelized it. The stock was looking pretty white and scum-free when I added the ginger, garlic and onions just before I pressure cooked it. My definition of caramelizing must be different than yours. I'll try browning it lighter.
Also, my base gelatinized overnight. Was that to be expected? How do I store it and reuse when it turns into a hard gelatin?
Marc Matsumoto says
The broth will be a light beige color. It will get lighter when you add the fatback and tahini. If your broth turned out very brown even after adding the tahini and fatback, it's possible the onions were over caramelized or there was still some blood left in the bones.
Yooniverse says
If you add the carmelized ginger, garlic and onions, doesn't that turn the broth brown and not milky white as described/depicted? That's what happened to me when I tried out this recipe.
Hikari Frozen says
allrite .. tks.. oh well i am a week behind due to work .. gonna try it out this thursday HOPEFULLY before new year.. haha..
Marc Matsumoto says
It really depends on the region of Japan whether seafood is added to the broth or not. Kanto style Shoyu ramen often includes seafood as does Shio, and Miso ramen. Traditionally Tonkotsu ramen (Kyushu style) does not include seafood in the broth.
Personally I like the combo of chicken, pork, and caramelized vegetables to make a tonkotsu broth. I look at making ramen a bit like composing a song for a symphony. The pork provides the bass (tuba, bass, etc), the chicken provides the treble (flute, violin, etc), and the caramelized veggies provide everything in between (french horn, cello, etc).
I'm not sure where you get the impression that there's no umami in this soup, the pork or chicken on its own would be plenty, but it also has caramelized onions, garlic and ginger, and that's just for the base. The soup includes braising liquid from the chashu, tahini (sesame has tons of umami compounds), and mayu. The fatback isn't there for flavor, it's mostly for richness.
Xi Xi Yuu says
your realization was right on the mark. the pork broth is almost flavorless even if it is a glistening gelatinous white. when we make the batches and someone tastes it, its just for texture and richness (and I won't lie, a whiter broth seems to make ppl think it tastes better and they'll pay more...NOPE!). If u were to put the noodles in that white broth and not season it with Tare, konbu dashi, or something else. (which you have here actually made "Mayu Ramen in tonkatsu broth") - it would taste so bland and awful.
Traditionally the MSG flavoring comes from konbu and dried shrimp and sardines for saltiness and smokiness. This becomes konbu dashi (and where the natural umami flavor comes from). On top of that, they will ladle some kind of seasoning base like salt solution with mirin and sake or soy sauce with sesame oils etc etc so many possibilities-flavor plus more umami.
Which is why I am sort of surprised you dont mention konbu or soy product anywhere in this recipe..(did you add MSG or chicken boillon because there would have been almost no umami, though the fatback would have helped assuming it was the salted kind.)
I think if you keep digging down this rabbit hole you'll find that ramen is something so complicated and yet if u think about it, just noodles in a soup. If you grasp the elements of this particular soup (stock + umami agent + flavoring agent + alkaline noodles + meat and toppings = WIN), and you dont overcook the noodles then you can master any kind of noodle soup. Pho in my opinion is just as time consuming but not as scrutinized if u mess it up. Chinese noodles soups vary 100 times more than ramen, but everyone is not so picky about the parameters.
Xi Xi Yuu says
your realization was right on the mark. the pork broth is almost flavorless even if it is a glistening gelatinous white. when we make the batches and someone tastes it, its just for texture and richness (and I won't lie, a whiter broth seems to make ppl think it tastes better and they'll pay more...NOPE!). If u were to put the noodles in that white broth and not season it with Tare, konbu dashi, or something else. (which you have here actually made "Mayu Ramen in tonkatsu broth") - it would taste so bland and awful.
Traditionally the MSG flavoring comes from konbu and dried shrimp and sardines for saltiness and smokiness. This becomes konbu dashi (and where the natural umami flavor comes from). On top of that, they will ladle some kind of seasoning base like salt solution with mirin and sake or soy sauce with sesame oils etc etc so many possibilities-flavor plus more umami.
Which is why I am sort of surprised you dont mention konbu or soy product anywhere in this recipe..(did you add MSG or chicken boillon because there would have been almost no umami, though the fatback would have helped assuming it was the salted kind.)
I think if you keep digging down this rabbit hole you'll find that ramen is something so complicated and yet if u think about it, just noodles in a soup. If you grasp the elements of this particular soup (stock + umami agent + flavoring agent + alkaline noodles + meat and toppings = WIN), and you dont overcook the noodles then you can master any kind of noodle soup. Pho in my opinion is just as time consuming but not as scrutinized if u mess it up. Chinese noodles soups vary 100 times more than ramen, but everyone is not so picky about the parameters.
Marc Matsumoto says
QUESTIONS:
1.can i remove the meat part of the pig leg bones and just use the bones ?I usually just buy bones, which has a little meat clinging too them. There's no need to remove the remaining meat, but you also don't need to get a full roast with all the meat on the bones. 2.Which part of the chickens do i need to obtain the chicken bones ?
I usually just ask my butcher for chicken carcases, it's a by product when they make breast and thigh fillets. It's not super important which parts of the chickens you use.
1. Do i use the same water for the next part ?
Yes
1. Do i have to check and add water on my pressure cooker ?
You shouldn't have to. Just make sure the bones are well covered when you affix the lid. If you're concerned, you can quick release the lid half-way through and check the water level. Also if you don't have a pressure cooker, just triple the cooking time (about 5 hours).
Hikari Frozen says
wow this is a must do receipe for me..
just need to verify somethings before i start off hopefully this weekend.. Assuming i have a pressure
cooker
Tonkotsu Base
pig trotters -> 15mins on boiling water(with pressure cooker and no lid)
pig leg bones -> 15mins on boiling water(with pressure cooker and no lid)
chicken bones -> 15mins on boiling water(with pressure cooker and no lid)
QUESTIONS:
1.can i remove the meat part of the pig leg bones and just use the bones ?
2.Which part of the chickens do i need to obtain the chicken bones ?
AFTER cleaning all of them.. I just add them all with water and bring to boil while removing any
visible foam for around 30mins
QUESTION:
1. Do i use the same water for the next part ?
AFTER that i add Ginger, Garlic, Onion and then close pressure cooker lid and cook for around
1hr 45mins
QUESTION:
1. Do i have to check and add water on my pressure cooker ?
Hikari Frozen says
wow this is a must do receipe for me..
just need to verify somethings before i start off hopefully this weekend.. Assuming i have a pressure
cooker
Tonkotsu Base
pig trotters -> 15mins on boiling water(with pressure cooker and no lid)
pig leg bones -> 15mins on boiling water(with pressure cooker and no lid)
chicken bones -> 15mins on boiling water(with pressure cooker and no lid)
QUESTIONS:
1.can i remove the meat part of the pig leg bones and just use the bones ?
2.Which part of the chickens do i need to obtain the chicken bones ?
AFTER cleaning all of them.. I just add them all with water and bring to boil while removing any
visible foam for around 30mins
QUESTION:
1. Do i use the same water for the next part ?
AFTER that i add Ginger, Garlic, Onion and then close pressure cooker lid and cook for around
1hr 45mins
QUESTION:
1. Do i have to check and add water on my pressure cooker ?
Hikari Frozen says
wow this is a must do receipe for me..
just need to verify somethings before i start off hopefully this weekend.. Assuming i have a pressure
cooker
Tonkotsu Base
pig trotters -> 15mins on boiling water(with pressure cooker and no lid)
pig leg bones -> 15mins on boiling water(with pressure cooker and no lid)
chicken bones -> 15mins on boiling water(with pressure cooker and no lid)
QUESTIONS:
1.can i remove the meat part of the pig leg bones and just use the bones ?
2.Which part of the chickens do i need to obtain the chicken bones ?
AFTER cleaning all of them.. I just add them all with water and bring to boil while removing any
visible foam for around 30mins
QUESTION:
1. Do i use the same water for the next part ?
AFTER that i add Ginger, Garlic, Onion and then close pressure cooker lid and cook for around
1hr 45mins
QUESTION:
1. Do i have to check and add water on my pressure cooker ?
Hikari Frozen says
wow this is a must do receipe for me..
just need to verify somethings before i start off hopefully this weekend.. Assuming i have a pressure
cooker
Tonkotsu Base
pig trotters -> 15mins on boiling water(with pressure cooker and no lid)
pig leg bones -> 15mins on boiling water(with pressure cooker and no lid)
chicken bones -> 15mins on boiling water(with pressure cooker and no lid)
QUESTIONS:
1.can i remove the meat part of the pig leg bones and just use the bones ?
2.Which part of the chickens do i need to obtain the chicken bones ?
AFTER cleaning all of them.. I just add them all with water and bring to boil while removing any
visible foam for around 30mins
QUESTION:
1. Do i use the same water for the next part ?
AFTER that i add Ginger, Garlic, Onion and then close pressure cooker lid and cook for around
1hr 45mins
QUESTION:
1. Do i have to check and add water on my pressure cooker ?
Nisalarasati says
The recipe looks great! I took up the challenge for making successful ramen as my Japanese friend told me it's almost impossible. However, pork is not really my favourite. Do you have other suggestions other than tonkotsu broth (or cow)? Maybe with chicken or fish and just taste as good? And if I am to use cow bone marrow, what kind of the seasonings you think would compliment the beefy taste? Thanks!
Marc Matsumoto says
I've never tried it with chicken feet, but I do know that it is possible to overdo the collagen (I tried making it once with all trotters and it was too thick). The reason why I add the chicken bones is that it adds flavor and umami without adding too much richness. Since the feet is largely skin and cartilage it may upset the balance.
Alex says
I feel like trying to make this dish will prove to be my undoing, but I'm hugely thankful for the recipe all the same. For now, I just have a question: What if I use chicken feet instead of "just any" chicken bones? I ask because I happen to have them in the freezer. Would that put too much collagen in the tonkotsu base? I assume (perhaps incorrectly) that the trotters also make the base richer and more collagen-y, but there seems to be a point to your using a mix of leg bones and trotters. Substituting the leg bones for more trotters feels like something I should not try to do (however tricky the leg bones will be to get hold of), so I'm hesitating about the chicken feet as well.
Mugen says
Thanks for ur reply Marc.
Marc Matsumoto says
The noodles should be boiled as soon as they come off the pasta maker, otherwise they will dry out. If you need to keep them longer, dust them very liberally with flour and store them in the fridge. Unfortunately I haven't found a way to prevent the color from changing when you leave them in the fridge, but the texture doesn't seem to be affected too much.
Mugen says
Hi Marc,
As I noticed when I put my noodles in the room temperature for about 20 minutes, my noodles dry out and become crisp. Shouldn't it be the same texture like when it just being roll out? And if I keep my noodles in the fridge for later use ( like 1 or 2 days), the colour changed. Any suggestions for the noodles?
Thanks a lot.
susannah says
I have to say that I greatly appreciate all of your hard work and dedication to this AMAZING ramen. I lived in Japan for two years, and have yet to find a decent bowl of tonkotsu anywhere around me, so thank you x 1000 for doing this and sharing it!
Faylen says
HI Marc,
Thank you very much for this recipe. I will use it as a starting point for my own ramen adventures. I thought you might be amused to know that I carmelized the onions garlic and ginger in sesame oil and used that to make mayu (and saved the rest) It gave the mayu a wonderful sweet gingery aroma in addition to the burnt garlic that was really tasty. It might be worth more experimentation.
Mugen says
I tried making the noodles today, and I am happy with the result now. My problem was I put the water too much for the previous dough. I am using lye water instead of kansui.
Your recipe makes my family happy. Thanks to you.
By the way, you mentioned before that you wanna post your hakata style ramen here. I wonder how it is going? It would great if you can post it.
Thanks a lot.
Marc Matsumoto says
Ah okay, I don't like using MSG so don't include it in my recipes, but if you prefer the flavor, by all means add some. As for the noodles how long do you boil them for? Depending on how thick your noodles are you may need to decrease the cooking time. Lately ive been boiling for 30-40 seconds and letting them finish cooking in the soup while I add the toppings. Also, what kind of kansui are you using?
Mugen says
Vet shin is msg. It makes the soup sweet. I will try the fat back again. And I am using the fat back which is not salted, does it makes different? Coz I get it from the butcher, and he only has one without salted.
Marc, I have one more problem here. I always have my noodles not firm. And once I kept the rest of my noodles in the fridge, it turned out very sticky by tomorrow. Any suggestion?
Thanks a lot.
Marc Matsumoto says
By trimmed I mean to cut the stem part (top) off. This should expose all the garlic pieces to the oil and not only cook them through, they should be caramelized.
Marc Matsumoto says
The fat back needs to minced into very small pieces each piece should be no bigger than 1-2mm. At that size it should mostly melt into the soup. What is vet shin?
Mugen says
Hi Marc,
I tried your tonkatsu ramen, and at the last I put sesame seeds and finely minced fatback.
It turned out that the fatback didn't combine in the soup. It just in few small chunks form.
I wonder how your fatback can combine in soup?
And as I can see, you don't add vet shin in your soup. How can your soup has the sweet flavor?
I tried without vet shin and it just didn't has the sweetness.
For the noodles, can we put the dough in the fridge for several days before we cook it?
Thanks.
Wolfman200 says
Could you clarify what you meant by "1 small head garlic trimmed but whole" . Does this mean that you leave the papery outer layer on, fry up the whole thing and strain it out later? If so, then some of the garlic stays basically raw, right? Or maybe you take it apart but don't mince it? Thanks
Wolfman200 says
Could you clarify what you meant by "1 small head garlic trimmed but whole" . Does this mean that you leave the papery outer layer on, fry up the whole thing and strain it out later? If so, then some of the garlic stays basically raw, right? Or maybe you take it apart but don't mince it? Thanks
mcouperide says
I haven't gotten around to attempting your ramin recipe again, but been thinking about it recently.
I did manage to post a picture of my first attempt on my Flickr page: https://www.flickr.com/photos/17882417@N00/6226449147/in/photostream
Marc Matsumoto says
My guess is it's a mixture of soy sauce and concentrated pork broth. You can do something similar by making my Chashu ( https://norecipes.com/blog/2009/10/05/japanese-chashu-recipe/) and using the liquid to soak some soft boiled eggs in overnight.
Fcowie2 says
This looks fabulous -- that creamy pork stock! I'll definitely be making it. But our fave ramen joint also adds about 1-2 tbsp of what they call "soup base" to the bowl, in addition to the soup. (You can choose the amount: light, normal, heavy.) I'm asking about the soup base because the eggs they serve in the ramen are absolutely to die for, and I asked did they pickle them in miso, and the chef said they were pickled/soaked in the soup base. So now I'm wondering what that might be. The eggs aren't discolored as they would be if soaked in anything with soy. Still look like regular hard-boiled eggs, but smooth and salty to the taste. Any ideas? (The ramen joint is Shen Sen Gumi in LA, if anyone's wondering -- me & the kids try other places, but always end up back there.) Thanks.
chock says
I had two extra trotters and a large leg left laying around (a friend is shooting a pilot program she hopes to sell to Food Network, the program is about cut's of meat, pork belly being featured in the pilot program) so I am trying the recipe right now. I split the trotters in half and hacked (literately, hacksaw, cleaver and hammer) the bone to 4 pieces.
The chicken bones (whole carcass really) came from the leftovers from a whole chicken BBQ we had last night. I also added some extra goodies we had left over from the shoot: about 3 strips (1" x 1" x 3") of fatty pork meat and two 4" x 4" x 1.5" squares of pure pork belly fat. The garlic, ginger and onion carmelized and smelled great - but I accidentally deviated a bit: I chopped the onion instead of slicing (I was hopeful that some of the carmelized onion chunks would sneak into the final product). Also, I don't have a pressure cooker so everything is being done in just a normal pot.
Right now, the tonkotsu base has about 2 hours of simmering on the stove. My favorite ramen shops in San Francisco all pride themselves on letting the broth simmer for 48 hours. My plan is to do the same.
Marc Matsumoto says
If you click the link "Chashu" it will take you to the recipe.
Omar says
You mentioned "1 tablespoon strained braising liquid from chashu"
but forgot to include instructions on how to make it.
Marilia says
Awesome post! Very interesting read. I'm heading to a new Hakata Ramen shop in Torrance now. While I appreciate your diligent research and careful science, I am going to leave it to the experts. Still searching for the perfect bowl of ramen since returning from 7 years in Japan however. Have yet to find "my place." I may have to come back here and actually try out your findings.
sebastianho says
Thanks Marc! I'm going to try it again!
Marc Matsumoto says
That's fine, just mince it up and whisk it in at the end, when you emu Sift the fat in with the soup it makes it more white and more creamy.
sebastianho says
I couldn't find any salted pork fat. All I could find in my market was some cubes of pork fat. Dun think is what you have mention.
Thomas Abraham says
i think i only boiled it for about 30 mins, also, to my dismay that my friend secretly toss in a few carrots and scallions, could that be the factor to brown the soup as well?
Marc Matsumoto says
Just follow the recipe, it goes in at the very end.
Marc Matsumoto says
When you did it in the pressure cooker, did you boil it without the lid for about and hour and skim off the scum? Brown soup usually means some blood mixed into the soup.
Marilia says
Hi Marc! great post btw, i tried the soup base a month ago without the pressure cooker for 6 hours and the soup was light beige in color but today when i used pressure cooker for 5 hours the soup came out brown. The only difference i made between the 2 trials was instead of frying the vegetables, i roasted them in the oven. Do you think that was the main reason the soup wasnt beige? Or perhaps i overcooked the stock? I remember watching the Japanese tv shows the chefs usually cook the soup base over 24 hours so can we really overcook the soup?
thanks
sebastianho says
Marc, what should I do with the pork fat? Cook it and minced it?
Marc Matsumoto says
The collagen in the trotters make the broth more creamy. I use the whole trotters split in half. As for color, milky beige sounds about right. It doesn't get really white until you add the tahini and emulsify in the pork fat.
sebastianho says
Hi Marc! I've tried your recipe and have a few Qs. Why do u use trotters? can i use large pork bones instead? if I use trotters, which part is better? the front or the back? I've used the back today. After boiling for 6hrs, my base stock is milky brownish and not milky white. something wrong?
Heather says
(I mean 'gorged'. Though 'forged' does an apt job of conveying the epic effect it had on my psyche.)
Heather says
I just forged myself on a bowl of tonkotsu ramen at a little joint in Portland called Shogun Noodle. Funny thing, whenever I fall in love with a new (to me) Japanese good, it ends up being a specialty of Hakata. Must be those browner onions that give it the magic!