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1
The night before: combine the niboshi with 1.5 litres of cold water in a non-reactive container. Cover and refrigerate for a minimum of eight hours. The cold infusion extracts delicate umami from the sardines without activating the bitter compounds that heat accelerates. The liquid will turn pale gold.
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2
Place the pork bones in a pot of cold water, bring to the boil, drain, and rinse the bones under cold running water, removing any grey foam or fragments. Return the cleaned bones to a fresh pot.
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3
Strain the cold niboshi infusion over the pork bones, discarding the sardines. Bring to a gentle simmer — not a rolling boil. Maintain this simmer, skimming regularly, until the stock is clear and amber-coloured with a clean, layered umami that reads first of pork and finishes with a quiet sardine note. This is the Kitakata broth: it must remain transparent. Cloudiness indicates excessive heat; reduce at once.
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4
Strain the broth through a fine sieve. Season by stirring soy sauce (tare) into the hot broth to taste — the result should be delicate and dashi-forward, distinctly lighter than Tokyo shoyu ramen. The colour should remain clear amber.
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5
Bring a large separate pot of unsalted water to a full boil. Cook the hirauchi noodles, allowing slightly longer than the packet suggests — the high water content of flat Kitakata-style noodles means they absorb heat more slowly than round noodles. The noodle is done when it is fully chewy and springy throughout with no raw flour taste at the centre.
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6
Drain the noodles and divide immediately between four warmed bowls. Ladle the hot broth over the noodles. Arrange chashu, menma, and spring onion on the surface. Serve without delay — the flat noodle continues to absorb broth rapidly.