Tonkotsu noodles

Tonkotsu is a port fat/ marrow broth, which is served over noodles with spring onions in Japan. This is my interpretation after eating tonkotsu ramen in a wonderful traditional noodle shop, run by a lovely old couple in Osaka, Japan.

Warning: This recipe isn't for the feint-of-heart, the busy-of-schedule or  those a of vegetarian inclination.


This recipe is a western take on a traditional Japanese dish.  In the UK it's very hard to source pork bones on their own, therefore I used a pork shank. The meat on the bone made a nice addition to the finished article, but gives a darker, browner, more bitty broth. I also refrained from adding in extra pork fat because I like my arteries nice and bendy.

My recipe is loosely based on what I learnt from The Food Lab and their recipe, although I've aimed to make it easier for the western cook. I used my slow cooker, although this can be cooked in a saucepan on the stove.

Prep time: 30-40 mins
Cooking time: 8-9 hours
Sitting time: 12 plus hours

1 pork shank (roughly 750g)
250g shitaki mushrooms (optional)
5 garlic cloves
5-6 spring onions
1 white onion
black pepper
toasted sesame oil
3-4 cups of water
1 handful of noodles ( ramen, soba, udon etc) per person

1. Roughly chop the spring onions, onion and peeled garlic.
1a. Save some of the green portion of the spring onions to add to the dish before eating ( wrap in cling film and store in the fridge)
2. Heat the sesame oil in a frying pan and add the chopped vegetables.
3. Although you don't want to burn the kitchen down you do need to cook the veg until it's very black and caramelised ( read 'burnt'). Add these to the slow cooker.
4. Add the pork and mushrooms to the slow cooker, chopped into smaller chunks if needed. Include the skin, bones, meat, fat, storks- everything needs to go in.
5. Add enough water to cover the meat and set the cooker to high.
6. Leave the slow cooker for the next 8-9 hours, stirring occasionally and ensuring the pot doesn't explode/ go dry/ etc
7. After cooking leave the broth ( with all the bits in it) to cool overnight.
8. If the broth has been cooked enough it should have completely set into a brothy jelly.(Don't worry if it hasn't set, put it back on the pan (with all the bits) and bring to a rolling boil for another hour.)
9. Before serving reheat the broth to turn it back into a liquid, strain through a sieve to remove all of the bits, at heat gently in a pan. if you like, remove the pork meat to add to the top of the dish.
10. Add the noodles to plenty of hot water and cook as the packet instructions ( normally 8-10 mins)
11. Add the tonkotsu broth to the noodles, and top with the saved spring onion.
12. Enjoy!