There’s No Noodle Like a Mama Noodle
In Thailand, the Mama brand of instant noodles is ubiquitous enough that people tend to refer to all instant noodles as “Mama”—the way some Americans refer to tissues as “Kleenex” or the British call vacuums the “Hoover.” The noodles pop up in stir-fries served in dining halls, soups purchased from noodle shops, and ev…
“Texturally speaking, it gets mushy if you don’t eat it quickly after it is cooked, much like fresh ramen,”
Immediately turn off the heat, cover the pot, and let the mixture sit until the tamarind is very soft, about 30 minutes. The tamarind water will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 week and in the freezer for up to 3 months. Naam Sup Muu (Pork Stock) Put the bones in a large pot and add enough cold water to cover them by 1 inch or so.
Cover the pot and bring the water to a simmer over high heat, then turn off the heat. Clean the pot, return the bones to the pot, and add enough of the 5 quarts water to cover by an inch or so.
Bring the water to a bare simmer over high heat, lower the heat to maintain a bare simmer, and cook, skimming off any surface scum occasionally, until all of the flavor has been cooked out of the meat on the bones, about 2 ½ hours. Use the stock now, or let it cool and then store in airtight containers in the fridge for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 6 months. Working in batches, if necessary, add the pork, cilantro, fish sauce, and pepper and pound until the mixture is well combined and slightly sticky (remember, you’re not being gentle with the mixture as you would with Italian meatballs), about 1 minute.
Fully cooled, the balls will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 week or in the freezer for up to 6 months. The sauce will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 week.
In a small bowl, combine the seasoning powder and seasoning paste from the instant ramen package, stir well, then add 3 g / 1 tsp of the mixture to the wide bowl, reserving the rest for other bowls of soup. Crack in the egg, lower the heat to maintain a gentle simmer, and poach the egg for 2 to 3 minutes, until cooked to your liking.
Submerge the contents in the boiling water and cook, stirring occasionally with chopsticks to separate the noodles, until the shrimp are cooked and the noodles are tender, about 2 minutes. Naam Sup Muu (Pork Stock) Put the bones in a large pot and add enough cold water to cover them by 1 inch or so.
Cover the pot and bring the water to a simmer over high heat, then turn off the heat. Clean the pot, return the bones to the pot, and add enough of the 5 quarts water to cover by an inch or so.
Bring the water to a bare simmer over high heat, lower the heat to maintain a bare simmer. Cook, skimming off any surface scum occasionally, until all of the savor has been cooked out of the meat on the bones, about 2 ½ hours. Use the stock now, or let it cool and then store in airtight containers in the fridge for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 6 months.
Add the sugar and pepper, stir-fry for 10 seconds, and turn off the heat. Cook, stirring occasionally with chopsticks to separate the noodles, until the shrimp are cooked and the noodles are fully tender (not al dente), about 2 minutes. Set the saucepan with the garlic-chile mixture over medium heat and heat until the mixture is just warm to the touch, 15 seconds or so.
- Who: Mama · Naam Sup Muu · Pork Stock
- Money: $300 million
- Percentages: 53 percent
- Figures: 53 percent · 300 million · 5 pounds
