In this crowd-pleasing recipe, a savory and spicy sauce (balanced by a touch of cooling cr?me fra?che) brings together ground pork, bok choy, and aromatics. We_re mixing in delightfully chewy tteok, or rice cakes?a staple of Korean cuisine.
1. Prepare the ingredients:
Heat a large pot of salted water to boiling on high. Wash and dry the fresh produce. Peel and finely chop the ginger. Peel and roughly chop the garlic. Cut off and discard the root end of the bok choy; roughly chop the leaves and stems, keeping them separate. Thinly slice the chives.
2. Sear Ground Pork:
In a large pan, heat 2 teaspoons of olive oil on medium until hot. Add the ground pork (removing and discarding the paper lining from the bottom); season with salt and pepper. Cook, frequently breaking the meat apart with a spoon, 4 to 6 minutes, or until lightly browned.
3. Sauté Ginger and Garlic:
Add the chopped ginger and garlic to the pan; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, 2 to 3 minutes, or until softened and the pork is cooked through.
4. Stir-fry the Bok Choy:
To the pan, add the chopped bok choy stems, soy glaze, black bean sauce, 1/2 cup of water, and as much of the gochujang as you’d like, depending on how spicy you’d like the dish to be. Cook, stirring occasionally, 3 to 4 minutes, or until the bok choy stems have softened and the liquid has thickened. Turn off the heat. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
5. Cook the rice cakes:
While the sauce cooks, add the rice cakes to the pot of boiling water and cook 2 to 3 minutes, or until tender. Drain thoroughly.
6. Finish & serve your dish:
Add the cooked rice cakes and chopped bok choy leaves to the pan of cooked pork and sauce; season with salt and pepper. Cook on medium- high, stirring frequently, 1 to 2 minutes, or until the rice cakes are thoroughly coated and the bok choy leaves are slightly wilted. Turn off the heat; stir in the crême fraiche and half the sliced chives. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Garnish the finished pork and rice cakes with the remaining sliced chives. Enjoy!