Grass Fed Beef Homemade Ramen

We have been making homemade ramen for a while, but it wasn’t until I started making it with our grass fed beef that I fell in love. We order in bulk from a friend who has a local ranch. In March, we ordered 1/4 of a cow, and in September we ordered 1/2 of a cow. Currently we have about 140lbs of grass fed beef in our freezer. It’s amazing. We have ribeye, New York strip, sirloin, cutlets, chuck and round roast, soup bones, brisket, chili meat, LOTS of ground, ribs, liver, milanesa, and more that I’m not remembering. It’s so much.

This should last us quite a while. I don’t know how long for sure, but our 1/4 cow lasted probably 6 months. I mean, we also buy pork and chicken (and fish), so we don’t eat ONLY beef. But it’s our main meat.

Alright, now for the recipe (I don’t want to be one of those bloggers that write their life story before the recipe. Ha!).

The ingredients are pretty interchangeable, so I’ll share what I used when I made it this time, then I’ll share some other things you can add. We were stuck at home on quarantine, so I couldn’t get all the things I normally get. This is a starting point.

So, here are the ingredients:

Beef bones (not pictured here)
Nori sheets: one, cut up into smaller pieces for the broth and one for the topping
Salt and pepper: I use the grinders and put quite a bit
Ginger (I prefer fresh, but I didn’t have it… so I used powder): 1 tbsp
Garlic powder: 2 tbsp
Turmeric: 2 tsp
Coriander seeds (whole): 2 tsp
Soy sauce: 1/4 cup
Rice vinegar: 3 tbsp
Fish sauce: 3 tbsp
Sriracha: 2 tsp
Sesame oil: 3 tbsp
Milanesa or some thin sliced steak: 2lbs
Ramen noodles of some sort (I’ll share about these below)
Green onion
Jalapeno
Purple and yellow onion
Julienned carrots
Sliced garlic
Shishito peppers (optional)
Other options: mushrooms, fresh ginger, edamame, kimchi, cilantro

I must confess. I’m pretty terrible at knowing measurements, so the ones above are estimates (on the lower side). If you want more, add more!

Steps:

The first thing that has to happen is the broth. This takes a while to simmer, so you will want to start this early.
I just place the beef bones in a large stock pot, cover with water (close to the top of the pot), then add in the first 11 ingredients.
Add in 1/2 jalapeno, 4 garlic cloves, 1/2-1 yellow onion, and 1 Nori sheet
Simmer for at least 2 hours.
While that is simmering, marinate your milanesa (or steak); Place in shallow dish and cover with soy sauce, fish sauce, sesame oil, sriracha, and rice vinegar.
Next, prepare your toppings: thinly slice the other 1/2 jalapeno, 3-4 garlic cloves, 1/2 purple onion, green onions, shishto peppers, and any other toppings that you desire.
Also, you’ll need to boil your eggs (however you do that). I use my instant pot and boil for 3 minutes, NPR for 4 minutes, place in cold water (not ice), then peel right away.
When these things are done, pan sear your milanesa or steak. On a hot cast iron skillet, cook on each side to your preference of steak.
When the broth is finished, you’ll need to strain it. After you do that, put it back on the burner and bring to a boil just to make sure it’s hot enough to cook your pasta.
To serve: place pasta in the bottom of your bowl and ladle the boiling broth on top. Place your toppings, slice an egg in half, layer some of the steak, and enjoy!

We have used regular old cheap ramen noodles the most. Just use the noodles and toss the rest.

Recently, I found these noodles:

I really liked them. But. I cooked them in the broth and I wish I wouldn’t have done that because they got overcooked quickly. Next time I will just break them in half and do them the way I do the cheap noodles. But I prefer the ingredients in these. Very minimal. Also, I got these at our HEB, but I’m not sure if they are available in other places.

Another type of noodles that I like are brown rice and millet noodles from Lotus Pasta. I buy them at a local health food store, but they can be bought other places like Costco. These have to be cooked a bit prior to using them for homemade ramen.