Sapporo Miso Ramen Northern Style

Ingredients

• For the pork bone broth
• 1.5 kg pork bones, rinsed
• 2 litres water
• For the miso tare
• 60 g hatcho miso
• 60 g shiro miso
• 30 g lard
• 10 g garlic, minced
• 10 g fresh ginger, minced
• 150 g ground pork, stir-fried
• For the noodles
• 480 g fresh curly thick ramen noodles
• For the toppings
• 200 g sweetcorn kernels, roasted until slightly charred
• 40 g high-fat Hokkaido-style butter, cut into 4 equal portions
• 200 g bean sprouts
• 20 ml sesame oil, for stir-frying bean sprouts
• 4 slices chashu pork belly, or equivalent braised pork
• 4 soft-boiled eggs, halved
• 2 spring onions, finely sliced

Method

1. 1
   Place the pork bones in a large pot, cover with cold water, and bring to a full boil. Drain and rinse the bones thoroughly. Return to the pot with 2 litres of fresh water. Simmer, uncovered, skimming regularly, until the broth is opaque, rich, and carries a sustained pork depth — this is the structural base on which the miso will be built.
2. 2
   In a separate heavy pan, melt the lard over medium heat. Add the minced garlic and ginger and fry, stirring constantly, until fragrant and just beginning to colour. Add the ground pork and stir-fry until cooked through. Add the hatcho and shiro miso together and continue to stir over the heat until the paste tightens, darkens slightly, and releases a deep, roasted aroma. This is the miso tare, and it is where the dish lives or dies: a single miso type produces a flat, one-dimensional seasoning — the blend of at least two types is what creates the assertive, layered complexity that defines Sapporo style.
3. 3
   Roast the corn kernels in a dry pan over high heat, turning occasionally, until patches of caramelisation appear and the sweetness concentrates. Remove and reserve. The kernels should carry visible colour.
4. 4
   Heat the sesame oil in a wok or pan over high heat. Add the bean sprouts and stir-fry briefly — they should retain a firm bite. Remove immediately; they will continue in the residual heat of the bowl.
5. 5
   Bring a large pot of unsalted water to a rolling boil. Cook the curly thick noodles according to their weight, then drain. The noodles must be curly and thick: thinner noodles cannot hold the weight and density of the miso broth.
6. 6
   Bring the pork bone broth back to a vigorous boil. For each bowl, place a portion of the miso tare in the base, ladle the boiling broth over it, and stir to combine fully. The assembled broth must be steaming aggressively at service — miso ramen is served very hot and should not be allowed to lose temperature before topping.
7. 7
   Divide the noodles among four warmed bowls. Ladle the miso broth over. Arrange the bean sprouts, roasted corn, chashu, halved egg, and spring onion in the bowl. Set a portion of butter directly on the surface so it melts visibly into the broth. Serve at once.