Smoked Venison Ramen, Camp Version
Jerky broth, kombu, and miso built into a ramen bowl on one burner.
- calories
- 690
- weight
- 5.5 oz
- cal / oz
- 125
- protein
- 38 g
- serves
- 1, scales
- prep
- 5 min
- cook
- 15 min
- total time
- 20 min
- water
- 600 ml boiled
- cost
- $$
Calorie and protein figures are my own estimates, good enough for planning a food bag and not meant as precise nutrition data.
- Dinner
- Canister stove
- Liquid fuel
- Backpacking
- Car camping
- Basecamp
- Winter / snow
- Nut free
- One pot
- Pre-mix at home
- Shelf stable
- Basic
Ingredients
| Smoked venison jerky | 2 oz | unsweetened, chopped small; beef jerky works |
|---|---|---|
| Ramen noodles | 1 block | discard the seasoning packet, the broth is the point |
| Dried shiitake slices | 1/4 cup | |
| Kombu | 1 postcard-sized piece | |
| Miso paste | 1 tbsp | single-serve packet or a small screw-top tin |
| Soy sauce | 2 tsp | packets from a takeout drawer |
| Dried ginger or galangal slices | 1 tsp | |
| Freeze-dried shrimp | 1/2 oz | optional but it earns its weight |
| Dried bok choy or cabbage flakes | 2 tbsp | |
| Sesame oil | 1 tsp | dropper bottle |
| Chili flakes and dried herbs | to taste | mint or basil if you have it |
Method
- Bring 600 ml of water to a simmer with the kombu, ginger, shiitake, and jerky. Do not let it boil hard or the kombu turns slimy.
- Hold it at a low simmer for ten minutes. Pull the kombu out once the water is dark, or slice it up and leave it in.
- Add the shrimp and the cabbage. Two more minutes.
- Drop in the noodles and cook them three minutes, stirring so they do not weld to the bottom.
- Kill the stove. Stir the miso into a spoonful of broth in your cup first, then pour it back in. Miso boiled is miso wasted.
- Finish with the soy sauce, sesame oil, chili, and herbs.
The original version of this starts with a smoked venison shank and five hours of simmering. Neither of those fits in a pack, so the flavor comes from three dry things instead: smoked jerky, kombu, and shiitake. Jerky gives you the smoke and meat, kombu gives glutamate, shiitake gives the dark savory bottom that would otherwise take bones and time. Fifteen minutes of simmer gets you most of the way there.
Miso goes in off the heat. It is a live ferment and boiling flattens it into salt. The sesame oil at the end is not garnish either — the broth is nearly fat-free without it, and fat is what makes a soup read as dinner rather than a hot drink.
Packing
Kombu, shiitake, ginger, jerky, shrimp, and cabbage go in one bag. Noodles in another so they do not shatter. Miso, soy, and oil ride in the liquids kit.
Variations
- A smoked venison or beef bouillon cube covers for the jerky if you want it lighter.
- Instant rice noodles instead of the wheat block if you avoid gluten.
- Sour bamboo shoots in a small pouch if you are car camping and want the funk.
https://foragerchef.com/smoked-venison-shank-ramen