Gochujang Pork Rice Cakes with Cucumber
Chewy rice cakes and browned pork meet a glossy gochujang sauce for a fast skillet dinner with cool cucumber on top.
Prep: 15 · Cook: 20 · Total: 35 · Serves: 4 · Difficulty: Easy · Rating: 4.9/5 (204 reviews)
INSPIRED BY
This skillet takes the satisfying chew of Korean rice cakes and pairs it with a diner-sized serving of spicy-sweet pork.
Story
Theo likes dinner with a little tire smoke in the rearview mirror. Pork gets browned hard, rice cakes turn glossy in the gochujang sauce, and cucumber cools the whole lane down. It is fast enough for a weeknight but loud enough for a Friday night. Bring the skillet to the table and let the sauce do the talking.
By Theo
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup gochujang
- 2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 tablespoon neutral oil
- 1 pound ground pork
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
- 12 ounces refrigerated Korean rice cakes
- 1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
- 1/2 English cucumber, thinly sliced
- 2 scallions, thinly sliced
- 1 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds
Instructions
- Whisk the gochujang, soy sauce, rice vinegar, and honey in a small bowl.
- Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat, add the pork, and cook for 6 minutes, breaking it into small crumbles.
- Stir in the garlic and ginger and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
- Add the rice cakes and broth, cover, and simmer for 6 minutes, stirring once, until the cakes are tender.
- Uncover, pour in the gochujang sauce, and cook for 3 minutes, stirring, until glossy and thick enough to coat the rice cakes.
- Top the skillet with cucumber, scallions, and sesame seeds, then serve hot.
Chef Tips
- Soak refrigerated rice cakes in warm water for 10 minutes if they feel very firm.
- Stir often once the sauce goes in because gochujang can catch on the pan.
- Use a wide skillet so the rice cakes cook in an even layer.
- Add a fried egg on top to stretch the meal for hungry diners.
Cook's Notes
- **Rice cakes:** Separate them before adding them to the skillet.
- **Pork:** Let it brown before stirring too often.
- **Heat:** Use less gochujang for a gentler sauce.
- **Texture:** Add a splash of broth if the sauce tightens too quickly.