about the ingredients
I literally keep ALL these ingredients in my house at any given time just in case the mood strikes us. My oldest son said that his perfect day would involve these noodles. This is probably THE favorite recipe I have in my arsenal right now. Sometimes I make it with sirloin and sometimes I make it with ground beef. But no matter what, when my kids hear this is what’s for dinner, the whole mood in the house changes. You need a handful of pantry ingredients–soy sauce, ramen noodles (discard the packets), brown sugar, sesame oil, sesame seeds. There also may be things you don’t have–sriracha, fresh ginger, fresh garlic, steak or ground beef, white onions and green onions.
what about gochujang sauce??
If you don’t typically cook Korean food, you’ll also need Gochujang sauce. People ask me if it’s necessary. Yes, it is. I live in the sticks and I can find it at pretty much all my grocery stores (I actually have better luck at the Neighborhood Walmarts than the big Super Walmarts, but I can also find it at Kroger and Albertson’s.) It’s sweet. It’s spicy. It’s more kid-friendly than most Asian spicy sauces. You for sure need it in your arsenal. It doesn’t take long–the ramen noodles cook in minutes and the stir fried beef is the same. This can easily be on your dinner table in 30 minutes or less! Toss on some fresh cucumbers and green onions and it’s the perfect combination of hot and cold, sweet and savory, lots of different textures and flavors. Best. Dinner. Ever.
