Recipe Colaboration Needed

[buccaneer]

When should we tell cirk that a spicy noodle soup is way different to a bowl of ramen?

[landarc]

Sadly Buccs, out here, most of the ramen places are owned by Chinese and Koreans. They offer Spicy Ramen and it is often the best seller. In the SF Bay Area, not quite so much, but, the better ramen places, run by Japanese who do it right, they cost $12 a bowl, which is not right either.

[buccaneer]

That's just wrong!

[jazzybadger]

I've been looking into making my own ramen noodle soups. Thanks for this information. I'm gonna have to drag my ass back out to Viet Hoa at some point in time.
This also makes me think of that movie Ramen Girl or whatever it's called, it's got the chick who died from Sin City in it.. Brittany Murphy? I think is her name, it was actually a pretty good movie to watch with my wife.

[buccaneer]

If you need any help with making Pho just ask mate!
Very different to ramen, and it's funny but Ramen is great in winter whereas I love Pho in summer!
Maybe just me a bit but it works for me!

[jazzybadger]

Well if Pho belongs in the summer I'll be hitting that up... it's summer nine months out of the year here. I think it's actually been pretty much summer for about ten and a half months this past year. We're sort of having Autumn right now I guess, we had winter for about a week. Ah, Texas.

[buccaneer]

Originally Posted by jazzybadger

Well if Pho belongs in the summer I'll be hitting that up... it's summer nine months out of the year here. I think it's actually been pretty much summer for about ten and a half months this past year. We're sort of having Autumn right now I guess, we had winter for about a week. Ah, Texas.

Alrighty then, same as our climate.
PM sent!

[PatAttack]

I knew you guys could help in some way! Way to go guys!!

[cirk]

Wow TMI guys! Lol thanks for the info and keep it coming I plan on doing a lot of research today. We have a new Vietnamese restaurant here and the owner and I hit it off I plan to pick his brain he's a gringo but he spent years living in Vietnam. So the dish I'm really looking for is just spicy noodle soup? O and I gotta go find a belly to cook...

[landarc]

The thing that defines ramen, is not the soup, but, the noodle. Both the Chinese, who invented them, and the Japanese use alkaline noodles. Done right, these noodles will not soften in broth for a long time. They have a distinct yellow color and a firm texture. Generally, if you are using alkaline noodles in Japan, and putting broth over it, you are making ramen.

Pho is about the broth, you want a clear broth, and again, it will generally be more salty/savory than anything else. Heat is generally added as a condiment, either as sliced chile added at the time of serving, or chile oils added when the broth is added over the noodles, or at the time of serving.

Oh, something I recently had that was truly delicious, was a Hot and Sour soup poured over fresh wheat noodles.

[landarc]

Oh, here is another ramen I recently made, I got the proportion of flour to kansui wrong, so the noodles were not as yellow as would be correct. No matter, it was delicious. A simple shrimp and shiitake broth, rayu (chile oil) and shoyu tare. I use Mitsuba on ramen, as a fresh herbal garnish, it makes the soup so much better.

[cirk]

I picked up pork belly, lemon grass, fish sauce, and noodles today. Thinking of smoking the pork belly with some cherry till its tender. Thinking chili/garlic paste, lemon grass, veg stock, fish sauce, and ponzu for the broth.

Might work

[TIMMAY]

Cirk, hope your noodle adventure works out! This thread has inspired me to try making some of this or that for the wife!

[landarc]

Cirk, on the pork belly, I would suggest: Smoke it at 225F for 2 hours, then flip and sear it, cast iron or over direct flame. It takes just a couple of minutes and it will crisp up. Now, wrap in paper or foil, this sounds weird, as it will make it less crispy. But, this will result in a nice caramelized flavor on the surface, far better than just smoking it. Also, if you have a slice or two of good bacon, throw it into the broth. The fat really improves the broth.

[cirk]

Originally Posted by landarc

Cirk, on the pork belly, I would suggest: Smoke it at 225F for 2 hours, then flip and sear it, cast iron or over direct flame. It takes just a couple of minutes and it will crisp up. Now, wrap in paper or foil, this sounds weird, as it will make it less crispy. But, this will result in a nice caramelized flavor on the surface, far better than just smoking it. Also, if you have a slice or two of good bacon, throw it into the broth. The fat really improves the broth.

That sounds like a plan!