Rice Cakes with Korean Red Dragon Sauce

Is there anything like finding a sauce that is both tasty and versatile? So far I've used it on a chicken saute and also (as pictured below) on rice cakes. Chef David Chang's recipe for roasted rice cakes, which includes also making ramen broth as well as roasted onions, was a little too involved for me to do on a weeknight. The Red Dragon Sauce as written below is very good, but I added a little more of the usukuchi to balance the salty and sweet to my liking.

Rice Cakes with Korean Red Dragon Sauce

Red Dragon Sauce
David Chang from Momofuku

• ¼ cup of water
• ½ cup of sugar
• ¾ cup of ssämjang (fermented bean and chile sauce), or more to taste
• 2 tablespoons usukuchi (light soy sauce), or more to taste
• 1 teaspoon sherry vinegar, or more to taste
• 1 teaspoon Asian sesame oil, or more to taste

Bring the water and sugar to a boil in a small saucepan, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Remove from the heat and let cool for a few minutes, then stir in the ssämjang to dissolve it. Stir in the soy, vinegar, and sesame and taste the sauce: no one flavor should stand out, but all should be present and accounted for. Adjust as necessary.

Momofuku Noodle Bar

You can go for lunch in just about any city and feel a subtle anxiety beforehand over whether you’re going to be able to find a place to sit or not. You can then imagine the uncertainty we felt when we decided to attempt a lunch at Momofuku Noodle Bar on a Tuesday afternoon.

To say I had high expectations for Noodle Bar is an understatement. We had eaten at Momofuku Ssam Bar the night before (followed by a dessert stop at Milk Bar) and absolutely loved it. There was such energy in both places that it left me asking the question: Is this the Generation X/Y’s expression of haute cuisine? To say I was giddy with anticipation, as I strode up First avenue, is an understatement.

As we approached the understated front of the restaurant, I was relieved to not see a queue spilling out onto the sidewalk. It was noon and we were seated immediately (very happy.) The interior is very similar to that of Ssam in the sense that a bar runs the length of the left side of dining room with plywood tables and backless chairs down the right.

I’m not going to act like I looked at the menu for any longer than ten seconds. I knew what I was getting order before I walked into the place. Since Regina wanted to eat over at Rickshaw Dumpling afterward, she said she’d this lunch was all me. Anything that was ordered was mine. With that I ordered the chicken wings and the Momofuku Ramen.

The wings are an absolute monster. As with most things Momofuku, you’ve had something like these, but these are just a better version. Instead of being slathered in sauce these are layered with garlic, pickled chiles, and scallions. They’re crispy with a subtle bite of spice and the end. I could have sat at the table and eaten these damn things the whole time.

….then there’s the pork buns. The buns themselves have the look and feel of a light and fluffy omelet; only instead of egg it’s made from white bread (only they're white). These things are all about mouth feel. As you sink your teeth into the soft bun you find the hoisin and pork belly waiting for you inside – simple and deeeeeelicious.

Good 'till the last drop

You didn’t think I’d go to Momo Noodle Bar and not get ramen did you? I just went with the down and dirty Momofuku Ramen – pork belly, pork shoulder, poached egg, and (of course) ramen noodles. The proteins were great, but do you want to know what my favorite part was? The broth with the noodles made for a perfect ending to this little afternoon feast. All of the rich flavor that had leached out of the pork along with the silky yolk of the poached egg resulted in a delicious bowl of goodness that I will not soon forget.

This place is not to be missed.

Momofuku Noodle Bar
171 First Avenue
New York, NY 10003
www.momofuku.com/noodle/default.asp

Spicy Pork Sausage & Rice Cakes

When we went to David Chang’s Momofuku Ssäm Bar I ordered a spicy pork dish that was really good. When I got home one of the first things I did was look through his new book Momofuku to see if it was in there and sure enough there it was.

I found that the biggest challenge for this recipe was finding the ingredients. Silken tofu, kochukaru, rice cakes, these were just some of the things that I had to find on Asian grocery scavenger hunt. Some might find it frustrating, some might take a look at the ingredients and take a pass, but there is just something about finding this stuff that has been a lot of fun.

The ingredients, while different, have many similarities to American ingredients. Kochukaru is basically chili powder. Rice cakes (in stick form) are not the lightweight prepackaged diet snacks you typically think of, but doughy sticks that have the dense chewiness of gnocchi. Silken tofu, when whipped, has a mellowing affect on spice like one would expect from sour cream. For me it’s the kind of thing that gets the mind going a mile a minute as to the application of these ingredients on some of my favorite foods.

If you’re up for the challenge of finding the ingredients, this is a great recipe for any spice lover. My only caveat would be to make the dish with the dried chiles but pick them out when everything is done. If you’re adventurous go ahead and try them but consider yourself warned. This does freeze and warm up well.

Spicy Pork Sausage & Rice Cakes

Spicy Pork Sausage & Rice Cakes
by David Chang from Momofuku

• ½ cup grapeseed or other neutral oil
• 3 large yellow onions, cut in half and thinly sliced
• 2-1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1 pound ground pork
• 2 very loosely packed cups (1-1/2 ounces) dried red chiles
• 2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• 2 tablespoons toban djan (jarred Chinese fermented bean and chile sauce) or ssämjang (the Korean analogue to toban djan)
• 1 tablespoon Sichuan peppercorns
• 1 tablespoon kochukaru (Korean chile powder)
• 6 tablespoons of water
• 1 tablespoon usukuchi (light soy sauce)
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 2 cups sliced or coarsely chopped Chinese vegetables, such as Chinese broccoli or bok choy
• 8 long cylindrical rice sticks, cut in 1 inch lengths
• 8 ounces silken tofu, drained
• 1 cup sliced scallions, greens and whites
• ½ cup packaged Chinese fried shallots

1. Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a wide skillet over medium-high heat. After a minute or two, when the oil is hot, add the onions and ½ teaspoons of the salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions start to take on color and begin to shrink in the pan, about 10 minutes. Turn the heat down to medium and cook, turning the onions over on themselves every 5 or so minutes, until golden and soft and sweet, about 20 minutes longer.
2. Meanwhile, heat another tablespoon of the oil in a wide skillet over medium-high heat. After a minute or two, when the oil is hot, add the ground pork and cook, jabbing at the meat with the edge of the spoon to break it up, for about 10 minutes, just until it has lost its raw pinkness but not so long that it brown or threatens to dry out. Transfer the pork to a bowl and reserve it. Return the pan to the stove.
3. Add the remaining 5 tablespoons oil to the pan turn the heat down to medium, and let the oil heat up for a minute. Add the dried chiles and warm them through in the oil for 1 minute, until they’re fragrant. Add the sliced garlic and cook, stirring, for a minute to infuse its flavor into the oil – it doesn’t need to color, but when the aroma of garlic is rising from the pan, it’s ready, Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the Chinese chile bean sauce, Sichuan peppercorns, and kochukaru. Reserve until the onions are cooked.
4. Add the water, cooked onions, and pork to the pan with the chile sauce and stir to combine. Stir in the soy, sugar, and remaining2 teaspoons salt. At this point, you can cool the sauce and refrigerate it (for a few days) or freeze (for a few weeks), if desired.
5. Meanwhile, put a large pot of water on to boil and salt it well.
6. Bring the sauce to a simmer over medium heat and stir in the chopped greens. Cook them for 3 to 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the stems are just tender.
7. Drop the rice cakes into the boiling water and cook them for 2 to 3 minutes, until warmed through. Drain and add them to the pan with the pork sauce. Whisk the tofu until creamy and fluid and then stir it into the rice cake mixture.
8. Divide the rice cakes and ragu among serving bowls, garnish each with some scallions and packages fried shallots, and serve hot.