Poor Man's Raman

Like it or not, Ramen is here to stay. This simple noodle dish has been a staple in America for enough years now that the odds of it going away are nonexistent. Hell, most of us who went to college in the past twenty years would’ve starved to death if not for packaged ramen soup. Sadly enough, there is also a fair number of working folk who probably would’ve gone hungry if not for this cheap meal. Let’s face it, in the sad times we live in there are just days where you have to think inside the pack to come up with dinner.

I know of some folks who refuse to eat ramen noodles because they went through a time in their life when that was all they had the money to eat. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner all totaled out to a whopping ninety-nine cents per person. Fortunately for me, I’m not the person who gets tired of eating the same thing repeatedly. My own bouts with poverty have simply taught me to exchange repetition with unorthodox and often questionable additions to make food interesting. When push comes to shove, the most untrustworthy people in this world are the ones who don’t admire and experiment with their food.

Ramen is a food item that screams to be made interesting and despite my Vascular Surgeon’s warnings I have made every effort to make it interesting.  Its humble beginnings will forever make it the ultimate survival food.  Its history and evolution are nothing short of intriguing and with a little effort; a simple bowl of noodles can become a favorite of people, both young and old, wealthy or poor. First, let’s explore this simplest of culinary marvels.

Instant ramen that we know and love in America was invented in 1954 by Momofuku Ando in an attempt to feed people in a Japan that was still recovering from World War II.  During those days the Japanese Ministry of Health was encouraging people to eat bread that was supplied by America. It was the general consensus that most noodle companies were not stable enough to meet the need for noodles, as they were a food far more familiar to the Japanese people. Momofuku, being an inventor and businessman went on a binge of trial and error attempts to develop and market a sustainable food item. His notion was “Peace will come to the world when the people have enough to eat.”

Essentially, he had found a way to flash-fry a fully cooked noodle so the cooking process was stopped and the product could be stored. When needed it was simple matter of placing the brick of noodles in boiling water and adding the seasoning packet. Said packet was a simple mixture of any flavor of stock packed with monosodium glutamate. So, in the end, you basically have a soup made with noodles fried in a rich fat and seasoned with a lot of sodium. I ask you again, how can this be so bad?

Okay, so all joking aside, so how bad can ramen noodles be?  Let’s just say the health impacts are negligible when compared to some of the other crap we the American people consume. Coca-Cola can unclog toilets and clean stains out of your driveway. Sugar has more addictive properties than cocaine, yet we eat that stuff by the tractor-trailer load. Taco Bell, as much as their tacos are beloved, uses dog-food grade meat for their delectable entrees.  McDonalds, on the other hand, is anyone’s guess as to what you’re actually eating. Lunch meat is high in sodium, as is bread and cereal. You could almost go on for days about how bad the food we eat is.

Therefore, when you contrast everything we eat on a normal day a simple pack of instant ramen noodles isn’t that bad. As with everything we consume the difficulty resides in moderation. It’s common to find someone who eats four-thousand calories a day then wonders why they have trouble controlling their weight. Ramen noodles can be part of such struggles. I wouldn’t be able to sleep with myself if I didn’t take the time to advocate for a healthy lifestyle and proper eating habits. If you watch your diet, I think we can safely say a simple bowl of ramen on occasion won’t kill you.

On the topic of healthy, there is an alternative to simple moderation. That alternative is to simply replace the unhealthy calories with something less frightening. I’ve seen on a number of occasions where a friend of colleague has boiled some water and made a steaming bowl of ramen, with FOUR packs of noodles. Let me just say that I have done some crazy thigs in the kitchen that may well be enough to make a dietician retire, so when I say something is unhealthy you may want to refrain from eating it. In place of two, three, or four packs of noodles you can get by with one. Just load them up with less artery clogging selections. Admit it, you know you want to be around to embarrass your kids in front of their college room-mate.

It goes without saying that instant ramen has no way of competing with fresh-made from scratch ramen noodles. Part of the magic of this mysteriously simple soup is the manner by which it transcends all cultural and social bounds. Literally, rich to poor, young to old, sinner to saint, there will be a ramen recipe out there for you somewhere. For this reason, we see the ascension of Chefs like Ivan Orkin, who is perhaps the leading authority of ramen in America. Yet he’s not the only one. Ramen shops are springing up in cities all over America.

The internet is loaded with different recipes, hacks, trends, ideas, and tricks to transform a simple bowl of noodles into something amazing, and just as often hideous. Somebody actually came up with the idea to fry ramen noodles and use them in place of a hamburger bun. While I’m all about creativity, some foods really shouldn’t be made to go beyond their DNA. Otherwise, there are no rules. If you’re from the south you can feel free to use beet greens and some chicken in your ramen. Maybe some green beans and beef for the mid-westerners. How about some chorizo and chili for the people in Albuquerque? Why not? The sky is the limit.

It’s reasonable to say ramen is so wide-spread and loved because of its versatility. It’s the simplest and tastiest of fare. It is perfectly acceptable to have in hot weather but it’s equally awesome in cold climates. With a simple variation of ingredients ramen is a fantastic for breakfast, lunch, dinner. We also need to remember ramen can be a lifesaver after a night of heavy drinking. That’s usually when I came up with some of my best adaptations, but I never seem to remember to write them down.  

Then there’s the slurp. Few Americans have mastered it, and most probably never will. This is perhaps my favorite part of eating ramen noodles. In no other culinary spectrum is it perfectly acceptable and even expected for the diner to make noise when enjoying their food. To eat your ramen properly you need to step away from the table with your face splattered with broth and fat from the bowl. The only accepted tools are chopsticks and a spoon. If you don’t know how to use chopsticks you need to quit making excuses and learn. Sufficed to say a ramen shop is only a place for a fancy date if you happen to be dating someone really cool. So, whether at home or dining out you need not be afraid to make some noise.

There’s a brief, and hopefully not too boring rundown of the phenomena that is instant ramen. I hope you enjoy the recipe below and will jump on the ramen scooter to make up some of your own creations. Don’t forget to check out some of the links I have at the end of my video for more information at ramen.

Poor Man’s Miso Ramen

1 tsp. minced garlic

1 tsp. minced ginger

1 tsp. soy sauce

2 tbsp. peanut butter

1 soft boiled egg

4 oz. reduced fat ground pork

2 packages ramen noodles

1 habanero sliced fine

2 green onions cut in strips

4 cups water

1- Bring saucepan of water to boil and cook plain noodles until just undercooked.

2- Drain noodles and reserve in bowl you are serving soup in. (Note: it is very important to have    the noodles ready so the pork mixture will have a place to go when it is cooked.)

3- In a mixing bowl place soy sauce, ginger, garlic, and pork. Mix until well combined.

4- Sautee pork mixture until cooked through, but do not brown garlic or ginger.

5- Stir in peanut butter to pork mixture and cook until incorporated. Place cooked pork over cooked noodles. (Do not wipe out the pan.)

6- Place pan back on high heat and put 4 cups of water in to dissolve browned pork bits still in pan. Add seasoning packet contents.

7- After water boils pour over noodle and pork mixture.

8- Garnish with split egg, green onion, and habanero pepper slices. Serve immediately.