Just One BBQ Leftover Transforms Cheap Pantry Ramen Into A $20 Bowl

Instant ramen is a cheap pantry staple that tastes pretty good on its own, but also acts as a blank canvas for all manner of toppings and additions. While even a splash of soy sauce is enough to upgrade a bowl of instant ramen, you can transform an inexpensive packet of noodles into a $20 bowl with some leftover BBQ brisket.

Brisket is a smoky, umami-rich, slow-cooked beef that would make the perfect ramen topping. Whether it's prepared in a smoker or slow-cooked in the oven, brisket is fall-apart tender and bursting with a flavor that's taken many hours to develop. It's also far more versatile than you'd think; its rich beefiness and melt-in-your-mouth texture can be repurposed into everything from game-changing tacos to a hearty salad topper. As an addition to ramen, however, both the soup and the brisket benefit. Leftover meat that's been sitting in your fridge has likely dried out a bit, so adding it to a flavorful broth will rehydrate the brisket while also infusing the broth with savory flavor. 

You can add sliced brisket to the broth as you bring it to a boil, before adding the ramen noodles. For a bit of texture, you can sear slices in some leftover barbecue sauce for a crispier crust. You can also warm the meat in the broth to impart moisture before taking it out and shredding it for a different texture that will evenly disperse throughout the soup for a bite of brisket with every spoonful.

You can further elevate brisket ramen with other simple additions. While celebrity Chef Masaharu Morimoto's tip for restaurant-worthy ramen at home starts with a simple chicken broth, you can swap chicken broth for beef broth to really accentuate the flavor of the brisket. You can also bring yet another layer of savoriness to your bowl of brisket ramen by using a mushroom broth. If your leftover meat is smothered in barbecue sauce, you can drizzle more sauce on top of the ramen or even add a few tablespoons into the broth for a true Japanese-American fusion dish.

We've got various ramen recipes that would work well with a brisket upgrade, starting with this bowl of spruced up instant ramen and fixings that features an aromatic miso and soy-based broth you can whip up on the fly. You could forget the broth altogether and place slices of meat over this kimchi ramen bowl. Of course, brisket shouldn't be the only topping for your ramen. 

You can enhance the smoky, beefy richness of leftover brisket with extras like earthy caramelized onions, crunchy fried garlic chips, or sweet corn kernels. Cut through the decadence of the meat and broth with fresh toppings like scallions or spicy dollops of your favorite chili crisp. Pickles are a common garnish to enjoy alongside a BBQ brisket dinner, and you can channel this combination by topping brisket ramen with pickled red onions or pickled jalapeños.