Stir-fried Rice Cakes (炒年糕)

• servings: 4
• active time: 30-45 minutes
• total time: 30-45 minutes

Ingredients

Meat and marinade

8 oz pork shoulder or loin, julienned (sub chicken thighs if you want)

1 tbsp water

2 tsp light soy sauce

1 tsp neutral high-heat oil

1 tsp cornstarch

½ tsp sesame oil

¼ tsp ground white pepper

1 lb rice cakes (for dried rice cakes, soak them as direct on the package, usually overnight)

½ - ¾ cup water

8 oz baby bok choy (or napa cabbage), washed and thoroughly drained

6 dried mushrooms, reconstituted and sliced thinly (reserve the soaking liquid, or you can just use fresh)

3 scallions, cut diagonally into 1 inch pieces

2 cloves garlic, roughly chopped

3 tbsp neutral high-heat oil

1 tbsp Shaoxing wine

1 tbsp light soy sauce

2 tsp oyster sauce

1½ tsp dark soy sauce

½ tsp sugar

¼ tsp ground white pepper

Salt to taste.

Directions

Combine the pork with the marinade ingredients, and allow it to sit for 20-30 minutes while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.

Place your wok over high heat until it begins to smoke lightly. Add some neutral oil to coat the wok, then add the pork and garlic. Cook until the pork turns opaque and is nicely seared on one side.

Add the mushrooms and stir fry for another minute.

Add the scallions and bok choy / cabbage, and Shaoxing wine. Stir-fry for 30 seconds, then move everything to the center of the wok to create an even ‘bed’ of vegetables and meat. Distribute the prepared rice cakes evenly on top.

Add ½ - ¾ cup water or mushroom soaking liquid (less liquid for less powerful burners). Cover and cook over high heat to steam the rice cakes and cook the vegetables. Try not to add too much liquid here.

Remove the cover, then add the sesame oil, dark soy sauce, light soy sauce, oyster sauce, white pepper, and sugar. Stir-fry for a further 1 minute over medium heat.

Taste and season with salt as needed. Continue stir-frying until the rice cakes are coated in sauce, cooked through and still chewy. Enjoy!

Notes

A Chinese stir-fry of pork, leafy greens, and oval-shaped rice cakes. The rice cakes are made of pounded rice and similar to pasta, but much more chewy. This dish is really popular in Shanghai and comes together fairly quickly. Great for those that don’t like spice.