Classic Shoyu Ramen

Place the pork neck bones in a large bowl and soak in cold water for 1 hour. This process helps to remove blood and impurities.

Drain the soaking water. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the blanched pork bones and boil for 5-7 minutes. Drain and discard the blanching water. Rinse the bones under cold running water, scrubbing off any remaining impurities.

Transfer the cleaned pork bones to a large pot (Dutch oven recommended). Add the ginger, garlic bulbs, leek, kombu, and chicken powder. Pour in 24 cups of cold water. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer for at least 3 hours, or until the broth is rich and flavorful. Skim off any scum that rises to the surface during simmering.

Strain the broth through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean bowl or container. Discard the solids. You should have about 2 quarts of rich, flavorful broth.

In a pot, combine the pork shoulder, 10 cups of water, sliced ginger, garlic cloves, soy sauce, sake, mirin, and sugar. Bring to a boil over high heat.

Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer the pork for 30-45 minutes, or until tender. Flip the pork halfway through cooking. The pork should be cooked through and tender.

Remove the pork from the braising liquid and let it cool in a dish for about 30 minutes. Reserve the braising liquid for the tare. Once cooled, slice the pork thinly for serving.

In a small saucepan, combine 1.5 cups soy sauce, 0.75 cup sake, 0.5 cup mirin, sliced ginger, and sliced garlic.

Bring the tare mixture to a boil over high heat, then reduce heat and simmer for 5-7 minutes until slightly thickened. Let it cool.

Bring a pot of water to a boil. Blanch the bean sprouts for about 15 seconds, then drain and set aside.

Finely chop the green onions and set aside.

Cook the ramen noodles according to package directions. Fresh noodles typically take 2-3 minutes. Drain well.

If using, soft-boil eggs by simmering them in water for 6-7 minutes. Immediately plunge into ice water to stop the cooking. Peel and halve the eggs.

For an extra layer of flavor, grate fresh garlic directly into the ramen bowl just before serving.

Add about 2 tablespoons of tare to the bottom of each ramen bowl. Ladle in about 2 cups of hot ramen broth and stir to combine with the tare.

Add the cooked ramen noodles to the broth. Arrange the chashu pork slices, blanched bean sprouts, chopped green onions, and optional soft-boiled egg halves on top of the noodles.

Serve immediately and enjoy your homemade Shoyu Ramen!