Short Rib Peanut Ramen

A loaded bowl of ramen is one of my most favorite meals on the planet. I love the way all the flavors come together to create a harmonious dish. I love the spice of the sriracha, the freshness of the herbs, the slurpiness (yes, that’s a word) of the noodles, the jamminess of the egg- I love it all. I bought short ribs at Costco the other day and was able to make three meals out of them. My favorite creation of them all was this one. I used my Instant Pot for this, but this could be easily adapted in the crock pot or in a dutch oven on the stove. The Instant Pot made this crazy simple, and if you have an IP that’s been sitting in your pantry for years unused, let this be your sign to pull it out! I first seared the short ribs in the base of the IP and then poured in the broth and seasonings. Once everything was cooked, I strained the broth and turned it into this delicious soup. Adding a bit of peanut butter and coconut milk really bulks up this recipe and adds a beautiful richness to the broth.

CASHEW CHICKEN LETTUCE WRAPS

Yields 4 servings. Prep and cook time: 15-20 minutes

Ingredients:

1 T sesame oil

1 lb ground chicken

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 T ground ginger

2 scallions, diced

1 bell pepper, dicedSHORT RIB PEANUT RAMEN

Yields 4-6 servings, Prep time: 10 minutes, Cook time: 60 minutes

Ingredients:

2-3 pounds short ribs

Salt and Pepper

1 T sesame oil

8 garlic cloves

½ white onion, diced

3-4” fresh ginger nub, cut in 1” chunks

7 cups beef broth

1 can full-fat coconut milk

1 T Chinese five spice

⅓ cup peanut butter

¼ cup soy sauce

1 T sriracha

2 T hoisin sauce

2 bay leaves

Ramen noodles cooked to package instructions.

Toppings:

Cilantro

Jalapenos, sliced

Thai basil

Jammy eggs

Sesame seeds

Scallions

Directions:

1.) Turn the Instant Pot onto sauté mode and add sesame oil to the base of the pan. Salt and pepper the short ribs then sear both sides. Once seared, add in all additional ingredients.

2.) Stir the ingredients together then place on the lid. Cook on manual pressure for 60 minutes, then naturally release. Strain the broth and remove the ginger chunks and bay leaves. Shred the meat with two forks.

3.) When ready to serve, cook ramen noodles of your choice according to their package ingredients. Ladle up some broth and meat, then top with fresh cilantro and basil, sliced jalapenos and hoisin sauce and/or sriracha to taste.

Note: If you’ll be serving all of this in one sitting, add the ramen noodles directly to the IP after the meat has cooked and everything has been strained. To cook, turn the IP back onto saute mode and toss in the noodles. Cook for 3-6 minutes until they are cooked through. If you’ll be eating this for multiple meals, I suggest cooking noodles on the side.

2-3 carrots, diced

⅓ cup cashews, plus additional for garnish

Large handful fresh cilantro

Large handful fresh basil or Thai basil

Lettuce cups Boston or Bibb lettuce

Sauce Ingredients:

3 T soy sauce

2 T oyster sauce

1 T hoisin sauce

1 T brown sugar

1 T rice vinegar

1 t sriracha

Directions:

1.) Add sesame oil and ground chicken to a pan over medium heat. Add in minced garlic, ginger, and scallions and cook for 3-5 minutes. Add in the remaining diced vegetables, then the sauce ingredients.

2.) Stir over medium heat until the chicken is all the way cooked through and the veggies are slightly softened. Add in cilantro and basil.

3.) Serve a large spoonful of the chicken mixture into lettuce cups, and toss with additional cilantro, cashews and scallions. Enjoy!