Name: Stir-Fried Rice Cakes (Chăo Niángāo / 炒年糕)
Total time: PLACEHOLDER
Yield: Serves 4 to 6
Cuisine: Chinese
Ingredients: 1 (8-ounce) boneless pork chop, ¾ to 1 inch thick, trimmed; 3 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon vegetable oil, divided; 5 teaspoons soy sauce, divided; 1 tablespoon water; 1 tablespoon Shaoxing wine; 1 teaspoon cornstarch; 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil, divided; ¼ teaspoon white pepper; 2 teaspoons oyster sauce; 1½ teaspoons dark soy sauce; 2 garlic cloves, minced; 2 ounces shiitake mushrooms, stemmed and sliced thin; 1 carrot, peeled and sliced thin on bias; 1 pound refrigerated or frozen sliced rice cakes, thawed if necessary and rinsed; ½ cup chicken broth; 4 ounces snow peas, strings removed and halved crosswise

Why This Recipe Works

Rice cakes, you won’t be surprised to hear, are made from rice (pounded into a powder, mixed with water, formed into logs, sliced into ovals). What’s delightful to the rice cake–uninitiated is its gummy texture—like a chewier gnocchi, with enough surface area to cling to whatever sauce you toss its way. As for this dish, think of it as halfway between fried rice and fried noodles, with all the familiar weeknight stir-fry elements.

Before You Begin

Rice cakes are sold dried (you’ll need to rehydrate), fresh, or frozen. Don’t thaw frozen rice cakes in the microwave; let them sit in the refrigerator overnight or on the counter for 4 to 5 hours. After adding the sauce, it’s important to keep the rice cakes moving in the wok to prevent sticking. Frequent stirring will yield whole coins of glossy rice cakes. This recipe is from A Very Chinese Cookbook: 100 Recipes from China and Not China (But Still Really Chinese).

Instructions

Transfer pork to plate and freeze until firm, about 15 minutes. Slice pork crosswise ¼ inch thick on bias. Cut each slice lengthwise into ¼-inch strips.

Combine 1 teaspoon vegetable oil, 2 teaspoons soy sauce, water, Shaoxing wine, cornstarch, ½ teaspoon sesame oil, and pepper in medium bowl; add pork and stir to break up clumps. Cover and refrigerate for at least 15 minutes or up to 1 hour.

Whisk oyster sauce, remaining 1 tablespoon soy sauce, dark soy sauce, and remaining ½ teaspoon sesame oil together in small bowl; set aside.

Heat empty 14-inch flat-bottomed wok over high heat until just beginning to smoke. Drizzle remaining 3 tablespoons vegetable oil around perimeter of hot wok and heat until just smoking. Add pork mixture and garlic and cook, tossing slowly but constantly, until pork is no longer pink, about 1 minute. Add mushrooms and cook, tossing slowly but constantly, until beginning to soften, about 1 minute. Add carrot and cook, tossing slowly but constantly, until crisp-tender, about 1 minute.

Push pork and vegetables to center of wok and place rice cakes on top. Add broth, cover, and cook until rice cakes are softened, about 2 minutes. Stir in snow peas and reserved sauce and cook uncovered, stirring frequently, until sauce is thickened and coats rice cakes, and snow peas are crisp tender, about 1 minute. Serve.