Fried Noodles!

...as I had learned to make them in Hawaii. Remember I made short ribs a little while back? Whenever I make meat, I like making extra. Just like buying hose clamps, hardware, oil, whatever, I always buy extra because you never know what you may need to make or have later for another project.




So I made extra short ribs because I wanted to make fried noodles (or fried rice, if there was left over rice) with the meat. This bag contains noodles specifically to make fried noodles with. You can make fried noodles using Top Ramen too, but I like using the fried noodle packs because each bag comes with powdered sauce. This was on sale. I just buy the cheap stuff from the Japanese market. 6 bags for $2.99, so of course I bought 12 bags. You could find something similar at other asian markets, but stay away from American versions of "chow mein mix" or something shitty like that. Oh, I can't read Japanese. I just look at the picture on the bag:
This is my ingredients. From the left, chopped cabbage (fiddy cent!), equally cheap green onions (from our garden), bean sprouts and the left over de-boned short ribs. If you're using meat that already cooked, don't throw them in until last. Also you gotta realize that if they already got flavor on it, it's gonna come out in the flavor of the finished product:
Save the "sauce" packs for when you get closer to the end of the job. It's not sauce time yet. Just put the noodles in a pot of hot water and simmer them crispy chunks until they turn softer...
I like getting them "not too soft." Try one and take them out of the pot when they're just at the point where "it's just a liiiittle too hard to eat right now" phase, because they'll soften up even more when you fry them up like freebasin':
Wash the noodles out in hot water. Noodles got weird shit on them. Maybe radioactive preservative ectoplasm or something, I don't know. My mom always told me to wash them once so I always do, real quick:
Fry up the veggies. Hold the meat. I forgot to show that I chopped up 2 cloves or garlic because they were sitting right there too. Just a touch of vegetable oil, not too much. Or else you'll make the whole deal too oily. Just like one or two table spoons. Depending what meat you use, the meat may bring more grease and oil to it later on too. Add a little salt, pepper, soy sauce, etc to the veggies now:
After the veggies are all fried up like a meth head, it's time to add the noodles in. You're in the home stretch. After the noodles are in, start opening the powdered sauce packs the noodles came with. If you're using .89cent Top Ramen, use the same sauce packs. You should probably add more soy sauce, Sri Racha "rooster" hot sauce, Worcestershire sauce, or whatever the fuck else at this point too. Add to taste, don't just add, or else your fried noodles will have too much trinkets, like an over-done "period 60's chopper" with too much shit from eBay on it with a lace paint job:
The sauce packet gives it color. Taste your noodles now, little bit. I like putting on extra green onions last:
I added some seaweed (like the ones they use to wrap sushi with) at the end just because it gives it a tiny bit of flavor and it makes me look kinda cool and cultured. This fried noodle came out pretty fucking good, I have to admit.
I thank you all who emailed me about the Off Topic food posts. Thanks for checking out Church Of Choppers and all the kind words. We'll be back on the road again with the Off Topic Food posts. When our very own Jeff of Des Moines was here in Long Beach, I took him to Filipino Rotisserie Chicken for lunch so you guys will get the full report!




Life's too short for burgers and fries!