Birria Ramen

Mid winter, it's hard to even imagine hot summer days filled with outdoor celebrations, cookouts, and BBQs. When it’s 30 degrees outside and snowy or wet, all we want to do is hunker down with some hot soup and keep hibernating. We could keep eating the same soups we always do, but since we’re already dreaming of summer, why not combine our two favorite winter warmers (ramen and stew), and give them a little warm weather inspiration?

While Birria is traditionally a Mexican stew made with chiles and warm spices like cinnamon, it’s been popping up everywhere lately as tacos, and that’s the energy we’re bringing into this dish. We want it to be hearty and comforting, while also full of flavors that remind us of sipping margaritas in the hot summer sun over a plate of Mexican food.

We recommend making this dish when it’s freezing cold outside and loud, boozy outdoor celebrations seem like lightyears away. Throw some chiles, bones, and meat in your slow-cooker and huddle under a blanket — in a few hours you’ll have a hearty, slow-cooked, mash-up soup that’s perfectly balanced.  

How do you serve it? 

Once your beef is fork tender, shred it and assemble your ramen bowl. You can use udon, regular ramen noodles or if you’re gluten-free, buckwheat is a good choice. Add the fresh toppings, an egg, a squeeze of lime and you’ll be all set with umami flavor. If you want to go the extra mile, though, grate your favorite cheese into leftover chuck with some scallions and cilantro. Assemble it into a taco, and dip into your ramen to take the mashup to a whole other level.

Made this? Let us know how it went in the comments below!