I have an obsession with ramen and have spent the last 10+ years figuring out an easy way to make rich delicious ramen. Part of the motivation is sometimes the kids eat at different times and get home after 8.
The core components of a good ramen broth:
bones
aromatics
umami
Bones
I like to use either chicken + beef or chicken + pork. The asian market in worcester sells a bag of 3 chicken bones. I try to keep 1-2 bags handy in my chest freezer. Beef bones comes in 2 varieties: legs and tail. Beef bones have a lot of marrow. Ox tail has more meat and produces a more beefy soup. Pigs feet or neck bones are the cuts I prefer for broth.
Aromatics
For the aromatics I add herbs and whole spices. The key is whole spices, but if you don't have whole spices it will still work. I usually have a core list and then vary it based on my mood.
1 onion
2" ginger root
1 cinnamon stick
1 tsp corriander seeds
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp sichuan peppercorns
5 star anis
Optional
scallions
garlic cloves
carrots
shallots
celery
black peppercorns
3 bay leaf
Umami
kombu kelp
nuoc mom fish sauce
dried anchovies
dried shitake mushrooms
Directions
Place the bones in a stock pot and fill it with enough water to cover the bones completely. Bring the water to a boil and boil for 5 minutes. Removes the bones and rinse the scum off with cold water. Wash the stock pot. Put the bones back in the pot. Bring it to a boil and turn it down to medium.
Put the spices in a cheese cloth and tie it. Add 2tsp salt, aromatics, and 2 umami ingredients to the pot. I usually pick 2, but you can put all 4. When the pot boils again, turn it down to simmer. If any scum floats to the top, use a ladle to remove it.
Simmer the broth for 24-36 hours. What I like to do is start it 5 pm. At 10 I turn it off and leave it on the stove. In the morning at 6am I turn the stove on medium. After 30 minutes, I turn it down to simmer and let it cook until 5pm. Around noon time I check to the water level and add more water if needed.
Once it's done, I put the broth into jars. When the jars are cool, I put it in the frig. When I use ham hock, I save the meat and use it in my ramen
