Here's another type of ramen I made. ^..^ Tonkotsu involves boiling pig bones until the marrow liquefies into a rich milky soup. This kind of tonkotsu in particular is native to the Fukuoka prefecture of Kyushu where it originated in the town of Kurume and eventually gained popularity in Fukuoka City.

This is the fruit of that labor. Tonight I decided to take some of the portioned soup out of my freezer. This time I added a little crust to the chashu pork by browning it with a blowtorch. xD

The uniqueness of ramen from city to city and even shop to shop is the biggest part of the dish. But here are the basic essentials for making this kind of soup, so feel free to modify it to your own taste. I will put up a recipe for the toppings at a later date.

Tonkotsu (pork bone) Ramen Soup:
-4lb pig leg bones (cut into quarters)
-Whole head of garlic (cut in half)
-A 2" knob of ginger root (peeled)
-Add other vegetables to your preference

First toss the bones in a stockpot and fill it with water until the bones are covered by three inches. Turn the heat on high and parboil the bones to get rid of the blood. Skim off the scum and foam that rises to the surface. Continue boiling until there is no more scum and drain.

Rinse the bones in cold water and clean the stock pot before returning the bones to it. Add garlic and ginger and fill with cold water until it covers all the ingredients, once again, by about three inches.

Bring to a rolling boil and cover. Add water when needed and stir occasionally so ingredients don't burn. Boil until the soup reaches the desired consistency. Thick, rich tonkotsu broth similar to Hakata takes approximately 27-32 hours. If you are leaving the house, place stock pot in the oven at approx. 300F.

Place a small lid in the pot to hold the bones in place and drain the soup through a fine mesh strainer into a larger pot. Leave to cool in a sink full of icy water. For faster cooling, place a frozen bottle of water in the soup. When cold to the touch, cover pot and place in the fridge for 9 hours or overnight.

After sitting in the fridge, the soup stock will be a solid gelatinous consistency. Dig out with a spoon into tupperware for freezer storage. Add noodles and toppings to your preference. Common toppings include seasoned pork slices, green onions and soft boiled eggs.