Im an equal opportunity lover when it comes to food. But asian food has a special place in my heart. The freshness of ingredients, the incredible flavors and variations of cooking techniques has always intrigued me and really have helped me broaden my palate.
My new favorites are “tteok” or korean rice cakes. These gooey and delicious nuggets of goodness are made of various grain flours including glutinous rice which gives them the amazing texture I love.
We have made a traditional recipe which we found too spicy (even for me!) due to the amount of gochujang (hot korean pepper paste) used. So I came up this with recipe which still uses gochujang but on a delicious and not painful heat level.
Ingredients
1 lb pork loin or boneless pork country ribs (frozen)
2 tbsp gochujan paste
3 tbsp soy sauce
1/2 cup chopped green onion
2 tbsp sugar
4 minced garlic cloves
2 tbsp sesame oil
1/2 cup korean cooking syrup (optional)
1/4 cup cooking oil
1/2 cup water
1 pack of korean rice cakes (You can find them at your local asian store. Some places make them fresh.)
Directions
*Separate rice cakes individually and soak in cold water.
Carefully slice frozen pork into very thin slices. (Easier to slice using cerated knife.)
Combine sesame seed oil, soy sauce, garlic and gochujang paste.
Mix into pork slices and let it marinate for 30 minutes.
On a cast iron grill pan cook pork on high so it gets a nice carameliation. If you down have a cat iron skillet to grill pan use regular pan. Just make sure you cook on high heat to achieve a nice sear. Once cooked put aside.
Heat pan to medium high and add the cooking oil and korean cooking syrup.
Add rice cakes and sauté for 2 minutes. Add cooked pork, green onion and water and continue stiring for another 3 to 6 minutes until you see a nice glaze and all ingredients are combined. Serve and eat right away to enjoy the delicious texture of the rice cakes.
Optional – You can add extra green onions or furikake to top dish. Also you can add sliced korean fish cakes to the recipe for another later of flavor.
Enjoy!
Food, A Love Story 