I’ve got special things planned coming up soon. Hopefully they work out, and all the hard work I’m about to put into it is worthwhile. At the least I hope it’s tasty. That time is not now though. I think over the months it’s become clear that I like to make simple dishes that taste good. As much as I enjoy a good soufflé, or fussing around making a yam puree, I still just want to sit and eat. What faster and more convenient food is there than ramen noodles?
Most of us subsisted on the cheap noodles and their obscene salty flavor packets during the lean college years. Heck, I still have a package in the house at all times just in case I need a quick bite to eat. I’ve often added steak to my beef flavored ramen to give me something extra, but I decided to up the ante a bit with some common techniques. And that’s where Better Than Usual Ramen Noodles comes in.
The idea to cook this dish came from the same place making regular ramen noodles does, time and money. This is an extremely lean week for us moneywise thanks to Sundance keeping me from the kitchen job long enough to feel a pinch. So I have to do something besides eat peanut butter on a spoon. Drizzled with honey of course; I’m not a deviant. Actually, PB&H on a spoon might be one of the best dishes ever created. So genius, and oh so delicious.
The idea was to just enhance the flavor of the broth. I thought that would do the job I wanted, and so I could imagine nothing any simpler than mirepoix with red wine to deglaze the pan. There’s a reason it’s a classic technique, and that reason is flavor. Essentially what happens is everything is enhanced. Now you do have to remember those flavor packets are loaded with salt. And that persists through to the final dish despite my using 4 cups of water to try and dilute the saltiness. But the seared steak, with a little hint of smoky heat from the chipotle, helps a great deal.
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