Reddit reviews Flavor and Seasonings: Dashi, Umami and Fermented Foods (The Japanese Culinary Academy's Complete Japanese Cuisine)

This was probably my best complete bowl I've ever made.

Tonkotsu Broth: Pork neck bones and trotters. Rinsed very well, soaked overnight in the fridge. Blanched the bones twice, each for about 10 minutes. I boiled them on high with the lid on for just under 12 hours, nothing else in the pot. Toward the end I emulsified in some Benton's bacon fat. The long soak plus double blanch yielded the lightest colored milky both I have ever made. Perfectly rich and creamy with just a hint of stickiness.

Shoyu tare: Simmered together green apples, dried chantrelles that were foraged last season, ginger, scallion ends and garlic for about 1.5 hours then hit it with a couple glugs of sake. I let it reduce down by like 75%, strain, then added shoyu and mirin. Green apples have become a staple in any tare I make for pork broth.

Niboshi rishiri dashi: My Dashi game is probably the strongest component of my ramen skills. If you take Dashi seriously, you need to get this book. Flavor and Seasonings: Dashi, Umami and Fermented Foods (The Japanese Culinary Academy's Complete Japanese Cuisine) https://www.amazon.com/dp/4908325049/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_eceBCbA6APMS5 I began by placing 2 sheets of Rishiri kombu in very cold water and placed on my stove as low as it can possibly go. If you have never used Rishiri kombu, do it, the results are spectacular. After about an hour or so, as soon as the water came up to 140°, remove from heat and hit it with about 1/2cup niboshi and 2cups bonito (I shave fresh from my katsubushi block). After about 15 minutes, all the fish settled on the bottom and I strained out.

Noodles: I used a mixture of high quality Italian semolina and whole wheat flour, I know this seams weird but it yields great results. I make my own kansui with potassium carbonate and baking soda. No fat in these noodles, only water. I brought dough together in the food processor then kneaded by hand for a bit. Rolled out noodles on my pasta roller, laminating about half a dozen times. I went too thin on these noodles, the chew was nice but they were just too thin for my liking in a rich broth like this.

Toppings:
"Ramen Salt" I make this with the powder that collects in my katsubushi shaving block, togarashi and Maldon

Leek threads

Sliced green onion

Black sesame seeds

Marinated egg: six minute egg marinated in soy, mirin, sake and ginger for about 8 hours

Chasu: cured pork belly overnight in salt and brown sugar. Rinsed cure and dry roasted at high heat until nice and dark brown, lowered heat drastically and continued to cook until very tender. Pressed overnight. I made a glaze by reducing soy, rice wine vinegar, brown sugar, sake, mirin and hoisin. To pick up the pork I put slices in a cast iron at medium/low heat, onces the peices had rendered some fat and got nice color on them I flipped them over and repeatedly brushed on the glaze.

Let me know if you guys have any suggestions or questions! I love talking about my bowls!