You’ll find Korean rice cakes, tteok, in all kinds of shapes and sizes—from long cylinders to thin, oblong rounds. While their flavor does not change according to shape, textures do. Thin rice cakes work well for this stir-fry, as they quickly absorb flavors and soften into crispy, chewy coins.

4 servings

8

oz. Korean rice cakes

2

Tbsp. (or more) vegetable oil

8

oz. ground pork, turkey, or chicken

12

piece ginger, peeled, finely chopped

2

garlic cloves, thinly sliced

4

scallions, white and pale green parts only, thinly sliced

.

Kosher salt, freshly ground pepper

2

Tbsp. unsalted butter, cut into pieces

1

Tbsp. soy sauce

1

tsp. toasted sesame oil

Step 1

Place rice cakes in a medium bowl and pour in cold water to cover. Let soak 10 minutes. Drain, rinse, and pat dry.

Step 2

Heat vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high. Add pork and cook, undisturbed, until browned underneath, about 2 minutes. Break up with a wooden spoon or a spatula and continue to cook, stirring and breaking into large pieces, until browned all over but still pink in places, about 2 minutes more. Add rice cakes, ginger, garlic, and half of scallions; season with salt and plenty of pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until pork is cooked through and rice cakes are browned in spots, about 4 minutes. If pan looks a bit dry at any point, pour in a little more oil. Remove pan from heat; add butter, soy sauce, and sesame oil and toss to coat.

Step 3

Transfer pork mixture to a platter and top with remaining scallions.