You may already know about the SPAM ramen burger, but apparently I was living in the dark ages. For the uninitiated, it’s everything you could want: crunchy, chewy, umami-y, and bursting with flavor. For an unconventional weeknight meal, make your family (or yourself) a few SPAM ramen burgers.

While I wish I were the creator of this pork burger, I’m happy enough to be a humble follower. The idea is to make a few ramen burger “buns” and fill them with a fried piece of SPAM, along with whatever toppings you like. The recipe I used comes straight from the SPAM source, and the patty is topped with kimchi. I took a bite and was thoroughly impressed. The ramen makes a surprisingly chewy bun, and the fermented snap from the kimchi complements the salty, fried pork flavor of the SPAM.

The ramen burger buns take a few steps, but the SPAM part only takes a moment.

You start by cooking the ramen noodles as usual. Add a cup of water to a small pot along with the seasoning packet and the dry noodles. The water will be discarded, so you don't need to make it soupy.