Ground Beef with Korean Rice Cakes

The technique of browning flattened ground beef in a hot pan has changed my spin on Asian cooking. Marion Grasby's easy method of searing adds an enhanced crustiness and char to meat. This recipe uses ground beef, Asian sauces, a few vegetables and a load of seasonings. And an unusual ingredient, Korean rice cakes. With no access to fresh ones, frozen rice cakes are more than adequate. I give them a quick boil before adding to the meat, which makes them soft and chewy.

Brown garlic and chiles in hot oil. Pat the ground meat in a thin layer. Let it crisp up undisturbed for a few minutes till the underside is dark brown and crusty. Flip it over and brown again. Add onions, tomatoes, seasonings, fresh basil and cilantro. Boil some frozen Korean rice cakes and add them to the meat. They take on much of the meaty flavor and eliminate the need for rice or noodles. An easy stir fry with exotic flavor!

GROUND BEEF WITH KOREAN RICE CAKES

Serves 2

1/2 pound ground Beef

1 tablespoon Canola Oil

5 Garlic cloves

2 red or green Chiles

1 large Onion

1 large Tomato

2 tablespoons light Soy Sauce

2 tablespoons Fish Sauce

1/2 teaspoon Sugar

1 Lime, juiced

2 tablespoons Basil Pesto

1 cup frozen or fresh Korean Rice Cakes

1/2 cup Thai Basil or Italian Basil

Cilantro leaves

Heat 3 cups of water in a deep saucepan. When it boils, add  frozen rice cakes and cook for 2-3 minutes. Drain rice cakes in a sieve, rinse with cold water and keep aside.

Peel and slice garlic.

Mince chiles. 

Heat oil in a large saucepan. A nonstick pan makes browning a snap.

Scatter garlic and chiles in oil. Let garlic brown slightly. 

Pat the ground beef over the oil in a thin layer. This allows a lot of the meat to brown evenly. 

Once the underside has crusted deep brown, flip it carefully so the other side browns as well. It doesn't matter if the meat breaks up. Try to keep large chunks together for best browning.

Once the meat had turned brown and crusty, break it up, adding onions and tomatoes as you saute. 

Add soy sauce, fish sauce, sugar, lime juice and pesto to the pan. Saute for a few minutes. 

Drop rice cakes into meat and stir well so cakes are coated with seasonings. Saute on a low flame for 5 minutes so rice cakes absorb some of the meaty flavor.

Stir basil leaves into meat. 

Pile the meat onto a serving platter and scatter cilantro leaves over it. Enjoy it piping hot.

Yum yum yum! Licking my chopsticks!

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