Mexican Birria Ramen, a bowl of noodle soup with chopsticks on the side
  • Prep 35 min
  • Cook 3h 20m
  • Makes 6

Ingredients

  • 1 lb / 450 grams of boneless chuck roast
  • 3 large short ribs with bone
  • 1 lb / 450 grams of oxtail
  • 1 tbsp of oxtail seasoning
  • 1 cinnamon stick
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 tbsp black peppercorns
  • 1 tbsp coriander seeds
  • 2 tbsp tomato paste
  • 4 green onions plus 1 onion
  • 6 cloves garlic
  • 1 inch knob ginger
  • Cilantro root
  • 3 qts / 2.8 L beef stock (1 cube for 4 cups)
  • 5 guajillo chillis, 5 ancho chillis and 2 chili d'arbol, OR 1 tbsp of gochujang
  • 3/4 cup of white miso
  • Oil for browning (not in the original notebook, step 4 says to add oil but no cooking fat appears in his list)
  • 6 portions of ramen noodles, about 600 g fresh or 6 packets of instant with the seasoning sachets thrown away (not in the original notebook, the dish is named for them and they appear nowhere in his list or steps; 6 portions matches his 3 qts of stock)

Equipment. Cheese cloth, Large heavy pot with a lid, Blender

Method

  1. Brown the meat for 3-5 mins per side
  2. Season with oxtail seasoning (pat the meat dry first)
  3. Add cinnamon, bay leaves etc to cheese cloth and seal securely
  4. Set heat to medium and add oil
  5. Add tomato paste, cook for 1 min
  6. Add green onions, garlic, ginger, beef, sachet and stock
  7. Bring to a boil on med-high then immediately reduce to a simmer
  8. Add the chillies (whole)
  9. Cover and simmer for 3 hours
  10. Remove beef and put in a bowl
  11. Add chillies (or gochujang), 2 cups broth, 3/4 cup of miso
  12. Blend on high till smooth
  13. Season to taste with salt and pepper
  14. Shred the beef in a bowl

Should you toast the chillies first?

Yes. Toasting them 30 to 60 seconds a side in a dry pan pulls the smoke and the fruit out of a guajillo.

Strain the blended mixture as it goes back into the pot. Chilli skins do not break down, and the broth ends up gritty.

How do you build the bowl?

Cook the noodles separately in boiling water and drain them. Fresh ramen takes two to three minutes. Instant will soften in about five minutes under hot broth.

Noodles into the bowl, shredded beef on top, broth ladled over. Diced white onion, coriander and a lime wedge are the standard garnishes. The red chilli oil on top is a feature, so do not skim it all off.

Store leftovers with the noodles separate from the broth. Left sitting in it overnight they turn to paste.

Is gochujang a fair swap for the dried chillies?

No. Dried Mexican chilli carries the colour, the body and the fruit and smoke of the broth, and the blended skins thicken it as well.

One tablespoon of gochujang is sweet, soy-funky and thin next to that. It makes a different bowl.

For the pantry route, use three to four tablespoons of gochujang with two tablespoons of sweet paprika for colour. Cut the miso to half a cup so the bowl is not salty twice over.

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