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Prison ramen stir fry hookup on a metal cafeteria tray, saucy ramen noodles mixed with sliced summer sausage rounds, crushed pork rinds, pickle slices, soy sauce drizzle, plastic spork, bare instit...
Sarah Mitchell

Prison Ramen Stir Fry (Hook-Up Style)

A "hook-up" in prison kitchen slang means putting together a meal with whatever ingredients you can get. This ramen stir fry is one of the more sophisticated commissary meals — it goes beyond the basic spread by actually cooking the ingredients together rather than just soaking them in a bag.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes
Servings: 2 servings
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: Asian
Calories: 490
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 3 packages instant ramen noodles (oriental or soy sauce flavor)
  • 2 tablespoons soy sauce
  • 1 tablespoon hot sauce (sriracha works great)
  • 1 teaspoon sesame oil (optional)
  • 2 summer sausage sticks (3 oz each), sliced into rounds
  • 1 small bag pork rinds, crushed into pieces
  • 2 tablespoons squeezable cheese
  • 1 pickle, sliced thin
  • 1 small bag corn chips, lightly crushed
  • 1 packet ramen seasoning
  • Hot water

Method
 

  1. Boil water and cook the ramen noodles for only 2 minutes — you want them firm, not mushy. Drain most of the water, leaving about 2 tablespoons.
  2. Add one seasoning packet, soy sauce, hot sauce, and sesame oil to the noodles. Toss to coat.
  3. Slice the summer sausage into thin rounds and add to the noodles.
  4. Mix in the squeeze cheese while the noodles are still hot so it melts and coats everything.
  5. Add the crushed pork rinds and toss — they'll absorb some sauce and add a meaty crunch.
  6. Add the sliced pickle and toss lightly.
  7. Serve on a plate and top with lightly crushed corn chips for crunch.
  8. Hit it with extra hot sauce if you want more heat. Eat immediately.

Notes

The trick is draining most of the water — you want just enough liquid for the sauce to coat the noodles, not a soup. Pork rinds are the underrated MVP here — they add protein and a crunchy texture that's like croutons in a salad. If you can find the Maruchan Yakisoba instant noodles, those work even better since they're designed to be drained and sauced.