Ham Hock Ramen
 
Makes about 8 servings
Ingredients
BROTH
  • 3 pounds pork bones or trotters
  • 4 to 5 smoked ham hocks
  • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 1 large onion
  • 12 garlic cloves 1 (3-inch) knob of ginger
  • 2 whole leeks, washed and roughly chopped
  • 2 bunches of green onions (white parts only; save the green tops for serving the ramen)
  • 6 ounces of mushrooms 1 slab of pork fat back (see Note)
DASHI
  • 6 cups water
  • 2 sheets of kombu (seaweed), torn into pieces
  • ¾ cup dried mushrooms 3 to 4 teaspoons bonito flakes
  • To serve:
  • hot cooked ramen noodles, choshu pork belly, ajitsuke tamago (marinated soft boiled egg), mayu (black garlic oil), soy sauce, fish sauce, hot sesame oil, chili oil sriracha, chili paste, green onions, enoki mushrooms, bean sprouts, cilantro, fresh jalapeños, limes
Instructions
  1. For broth: Place bones on a rimmed baking sheet in a 400° oven, and roast until golden brown.
  2. Put ham hocks and roasted bones in a large stockpot and fill with water. Bring to a boil.
  3. As you are waiting for the stock to boil, heat up a heavy skillet with vegetable oil over high heat until lightly smoking. Char the onion, garlic, and ginger on all sides. Takes about 15 minutes.
  4. Add charred veggies to the stockpot along with leeks, green onion whites, mushrooms, and fat back (if using). Bring the pot back to a rolling boil and skim off any scum that appears. Reduce the heat to a simmer and place a lid on the stockpot. Check the pot every 15 to 30 minutes to make sure it’s maintaining a slow rolling boil. Adjust heat as necessary.
  5. After about 4 hours, check the fat back. If it is tender and the fat is soft, remove it from the pot. Seal in an airtight container and refrigerate until you are ready for it. Cover pot and continue cooking it on a slow boil for 8 more hours. (A lot of time, I will turn the heat down to a slow simmer and add water a few inches over the bones, then leave the pot to simmer overnight.) Check the pot occasionally to make sure the bones are submerged and it is still at a slow rolling boil. Add water as necessary to cover bones.
  6. Strain out the veggies and bones. I use cheesecloth in a mesh strainer to really get a clear broth. Discard solids.
  7. Put broth back on the stove in a large pot, and bring to a slow boil over medium-high heat, and reduce to about 12 cups, skimming fat from the top and discarding. Refrigerate broth for 24 hours or use immediately.
  8. For dashi: Combine all ingredients in a bowl and let steep overnight. Strain, discard solids, and set aside.
  9. To serve: Once you are ready for ramen, remove the broth from the fridge and scrape off any remaining fat cap. Place the broth in the pot and heat up to slow rolling boil. Your broth should be pretty thick at this point. I add my dashi a cup at a time until it reaches the consistency I desire—silky but not heavy on the tongue.
  10. This is where you add your desired seasonings. Because I use salted pork, I usually have no need to add salt, so I just throw in a couple splashes of soy sauce.
  11. Once you have your seasoning where you want, let the broth simmer as you remove the fat back from the fridge. Trim off any rough parts of the fat back, leaving only the soft fat. Finely mince your fat.
  12. Bring pot back to a rolling boil and add your desired amount of fat. Whisk very vigorously until the fat melts and forms small puddles on top of the broth.
  13. Keep your broth warm while you prepare your noodles of choice. Serve noodles and broth with desired toppings.
Notes
Note
Salted fat back may be used. If you don’t like the extra fat, you can skip this step.
Recipe by Louisiana Cookin' at https://louisianacookin.com/ham-hock-ramen/