This oh-so-easy recipe brings instant ramen into adulthood. The noodle brick, without the sodium-bomb flavor packet, teams with sirloin steak pieces. Once the steak is browned in a little vegetable oil, the meat is removed. The flavorful brown bits at the bottom of the pan are scraped loose to add pizzazz to some chicken broth, water, and fresh ginger.
The noodles join the party and after they have a 3-minute cooking, some ponzu sauce is added off the heat. The ponzu brings soy sauce and citrus elements to the mix. It’s sold in bottles in the Asian specialty sections of many supermarkets.
Slice the meat and serve it atop the broth and noodles. That’s it, but if you like, top each serving with some sliced green onions as a garnish.
Almost-Instant Ginger Beef Ramen
Yield: 4 servings
INGREDIENTS
1 pound sirloin steak tips, trimmed, cut into 2-inch pieces
1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
6 cups chicken broth
3 tablespoons grated fresh ginger
4 (3-ounce) packages ramen noodles, seasoning packets discarded
3 tablespoons ponzu
Optional garnish: 2 trimmed and sliced green onions
DIRECTIONS
1. Pat steak dry with paper towels and sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Heat oil in Dutch oven on medium-high heat until almost smoking. Add steak pieces and cook until well browned all over and meat registers 120 to 125 degrees (for medium rare), 7 to 10 minutes, flipping as needed. Transfer to cutting board, tent loosely with aluminum foil, and let rest while cooking the soup.
2. Add broth, 2 cups water, and ginger to now-empty Dutch oven and bring to boil, scraping up any browned bits. Add noodles and cook, stirring often, until tender, about 3 minutes. Off the heat, stir in ponzu and any accumulated juices from the meat. Slice steak thinly and serve atop noodles and broth.
Source: “America’s Test Kitchen’s Five Ingredient Dinners”
Award-winning food writer Cathy Thomas has written three cookbooks, including “50 Best Plants on the Planet.” Follow her at @CathyThomas Cooks.com.
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