From my kitchen in Japan
When I made pork-bone broth at home, the smell escaped through the ventilation system and remained around the house for about two weeks. That experience is why I distinguish real pork-bone ramen from easier pork-bone-style ramen. My goal here is a “subtraction ramen”: focus on the bones, water, kombu, shiitake and salt instead of hiding the broth under many ingredients.
Ingredients
- Pork bones300 g
- Water for blanchingAbout 500 ml
- Water for pressure cookingAbout 900 ml
- SaltTo taste
- Kombu2 g (about 5 cm square)
- Dried shiitake1 small mushroom, recommended
- Ramen noodles1 serving
How to make it
- The night before, soak kombu and dried shiitake in water for a cold dashi.
- Blanch the pork bones, discard the blanching water, and clean the bones and pot.
- Pressure-cook the cleaned bones with about 900 ml water for 30 minutes. Release pressure safely.
- Reduce the pork broth until it is roughly one-third of the original volume for a richer taste, then strain.
- Add some of the reserved kombu-shiitake dashi, season with salt, and serve with cooked ramen noodles.
Notes
Pork-bone broth can create a very strong odor. Good ventilation is essential, and this is not the recipe I would choose for a small apartment if odor is a concern.
About the author
Mitsuhiro Eguchi
A Japanese home cook sharing practical Japanese recipes, ingredient workarounds and lessons from cooking in Japan.
About Mitsuhiro