Sanosan's Legendary Shio Ramen

Ingredients

• 50 g Roshiri Kombu (soaked overnight in 500 ml water)
• 35 g Katsubushi (Bonito Flakes) (for first dashi; use thick‑cut if possible)
• 165 g Salt (for shio tare)
• 100 ml Sake (Japanese rice wine)
• 30 ml Mirin (sweet rice wine)
• 10 ml Rice Vinegar
• 30 ml Shoyu (Soy Sauce) (add after tare cools to room temperature)
• 1/2 head Napa Cabbage (roughly chopped)
• 3/4 Carrot (peeled and sliced)
• 1/2 Round Onion (quartered)
• 1 clove Garlic (crushed)
• 15 g Ginger (peeled and sliced)
• 1 large Green Onion (white and green parts sliced)
• 1 kg Chicken Backs (bones only, meat trimmed)
• 330 g Pork Femur (cut into 2‑3 cm pieces)
• 330 g Chicken Feet (clipped toenails and trimmed pads)
• 65 g Pork Fat (cut into small cubes)
• 16 g Dried Shrimp (adds umami gum)
• 26 g Kombu (for secondary dashi) (soaked with shiitake)
• 2 Dried Shiitake Mushrooms (soaked overnight in 1 L water)
• 33 g Katsubushi (for secondary dashi) (steep in hot kombu‑shiitake water)

Instructions

1. Prepare Kombu Dashi Base

   Place 50 g Roshiri kombu in 500 ml water and let soak overnight in the refrigerator.

   Time: PT5M

2. Heat Kombu Stock

   Transfer the kombu‑water to a large pot and heat slowly over low heat until just under a boil (≈60‑65 °C).

   Time: PT10M

   Temperature: 60-65°C

3. Add Bonito Flakes

   Remove kombu, add 35 g katsubushi, and keep at low heat for 5 minutes to extract umami.

   Time: PT5M

   Temperature: Low heat

4. Strain and Squeeze Dashi

   Strain the liquid through a fine mesh, then press the remaining bonito flakes to extract every drop, yielding about 450 ml dashi.

   Time: PT5M

5. Make Shio Tare

   In a separate container combine 165 g salt, 100 ml sake, 30 ml mirin, and 10 ml rice vinegar. Stir until salt dissolves, let cool to room temperature, then add 30 ml shoyu.

   Time: PT10M

6. Chop Aromatics

   Roughly chop half a head of napa cabbage, 3/4 carrot, ½‑¾ round onion, 1 garlic clove, 15 g ginger, and slice one large green onion.

   Time: PT15M

7. Prepare Bones

   Trim chicken backs, pork femur, and chicken feet. Clip toenails from the feet and cut away any burnt pads.

   Time: PT5M

8. Blanch Bones (Pre‑boil)

   Bring a pot of water to a rolling boil. Blanch chicken backs for 30 seconds, then chicken feet for another 30 seconds. Remove and rinse under cold water.

   Time: PT2M

   Temperature: Boiling

9. Blanch Pork Femur

   Add pork femur pieces to the same boiling water and simmer for 3 minutes. Drain and rinse.

   Time: PT3M

   Temperature: Boiling

10. Assemble Stock Pot

    In the 4‑liter stock pot, layer pork femur at the bottom, then chicken backs, then chicken feet on top. Add the chopped aromatics, 65 g pork fat, and 16 g dried shrimp.

    Time: PT5M

11. Add Water and Bring to Simmer

    Pour 4 L cold water over the bones and aromatics. Heat over medium, slowly bringing to a gentle simmer (≈90‑95 °C).

    Time: PT20M

    Temperature: 90-95°C

12. Prepare Secondary Dashi

    In a separate pot, combine 26 g kombu and 2 soaked shiitake mushrooms with 1 L water. Heat to just under boiling, remove kombu, then add 33 g katsubushi and let steep off‑heat.

    Time: PT10M

    Temperature: Just under boiling

13. Skim Gummy Foam

    As the stock approaches simmer, skim off any frothy scum and gummy residue with a ladle.

    Time: PT5M

14. Combine Dashi with Stock

    Strain the secondary dashi through a fine mesh, squeezing the katsubushi, and pour it into the main stock pot. Stir gently.

    Time: PT5M

15. Low‑Heat Simmer

    Maintain the broth at just under 200 °F (≈93 °C) for 4 hours, never allowing a full boil.

    Time: PT4H

    Temperature: 93°C

16. Final Straining

    Ladle the broth into a clean container, disturbing the solids as little as possible. When the liquid runs low, use a fine mesh strainer to catch remaining bits.

    Time: PT15M

17. Serve Immediately

    Reheat the broth to serving temperature, add 10 ml shio tare per 300 ml bowl, and finish with your favorite ramen noodles and toppings.

    Time: PT5M

    Temperature: Hot

Nutrition Facts

Calories

120

Protein

10 g

Carbohydrates

5 g

Fat

5 g

Fiber

1 g

Ingredient Substitutions

• Instead of Roshiri Kombu: Standard kombu
• Instead of Katsubushi (Bonito Flakes): Dried bonito flakes
• Instead of Salt: Sea salt
• Instead of Sake: Dry sherry
• Instead of Mirin: Honey diluted with water
• Instead of Rice Vinegar: Apple cider vinegar (use less)
• Instead of Shoyu (Soy Sauce): Tamari (gluten‑free)
• Instead of Napa Cabbage: Savoy cabbage
• Instead of Carrot: Daikon radish
• Instead of Round Onion: Yellow onion
• Instead of Garlic: Garlic paste (1 tsp)
• Instead of Ginger: Fresh galangal (less)
• Instead of Green Onion: Leek
• Instead of Chicken Backs: Chicken carcass
• Instead of Pork Femur: Pork neck bones
• Instead of Chicken Feet: Chicken wings
• Instead of Pork Fat: Lard
• Instead of Dried Shrimp: Dried anchovies
• Instead of Kombu (for secondary dashi): Standard kombu
• Instead of Dried Shiitake Mushrooms: Dried porcini
• Instead of Katsubushi (for secondary dashi): Bonito flakes

Equipment Needed

• Large pot (≥6 L)
• Second pot (≈4 L)
• Fine mesh strainer
• Ladle
• Kitchen scale
• Sharp chef’s knife
• Cutting board
• Thermometer
• Glass or plastic container for tare
• Tongs (optional)
• Colander (optional)

Critical Steps — Do Not Skip

• Do not let kombu or dashi boil; keep temperature just under boiling.
• Extract every drop from katsubushi by squeezing after straining.
• Clip chicken feet toenails and trim pads to avoid hard bits.
• Skim all foam/gum before adding secondary dashi.
• Maintain low simmer (≈93 °C) for the full 4‑hour cook; never boil.
• Serve the soup fresh; do not rest overnight.

Chef Tips from the Video

• Roshiri kombu gives a sweeter, cleaner sea flavor; if unavailable, use standard kombu but increase the amount slightly.
• Thick‑cut katsubushi releases more umami; if using thin flakes, increase the quantity by 20%.
• Clip chicken feet nails before blanching to prevent hard bits in the final soup.

Troubleshooting

Storage

Refrigerator: Up to 2 days in an airtight container (reheat quickly, but flavor will diminish).

Freezer: Up to 1 month; freeze in portioned bags, thaw and reheat gently.

Room temperature: Not recommended; broth spoils quickly.

Make-Ahead Tips

• Prepare both dashi stocks and shio tare a day ahead; store separately in the fridge.
• Reheat the broth gently over low heat; add tare just before serving.
• If you must store, chill the broth rapidly in an ice bath before refrigerating.

Frequently Asked Questions