Soy-Glazed Pork & Rice Cakes

Heat a medium pot of salted water to boiling on high. Wash and dry the fresh produce. Cut off and discard the stem ends of the green beans. Cut into 1-inch pieces. Peel and finely chop the ginger. Cut the eggplants into ¼-inch-thick rounds. Cut off and discard the root ends of the scallions; thinly slice, separating the white bottoms and green tops. Cut off and discard the root ends of the bok choy; roughly chop. In a bowl, combine the soy glaze, black bean sauce, and as much of the gochujang as you’d like, depending on how spicy you’d like the dish to be.

Fill a medium bowl with ice water; add a pinch of salt and set aside. Add the green beans to the pot of boiling water. Cook 2 to 3 minutes, or until bright green and slightly softened. Leaving the pot of water boiling, using a slotted spoon or strainer, immediately transfer the cooked green beans to the bowl of ice water. Let stand until cool; drain thoroughly and pat dry with paper towels. Wipe out the bowl. In the same bowl, combine the cooled green beans, half the ginger, and half the sesame oil; season with salt and pepper. Set aside to marinate, stirring occasionally, for at least 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

While the green beans marinate, in a large pan (nonstick, if you have one), heat a drizzle of olive oil on medium-high until hot. Add the ground pork (removing and discarding the paper lining from the bottom); season with salt and pepper. Cook, frequently breaking the meat apart with a spoon, 6 to 8 minutes, or until browned and cooked through. Leaving any browned bits (or fond) in the pan, transfer to a plate.

In the same pan, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil on medium-high until hot. Add the eggplants in a single layer. Cook, without stirring, 2 to 3 minutes, or until lightly browned. Season with salt and pepper. Add the white bottoms of the scallions and remaining ginger; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, 2 to 3 minutes, or until softened and fragrant. Add the cooked pork, bok choy, sauce, and ½ cup of water; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, 3 to 4 minutes, or until slightly thickened and thoroughly combined.

While the vegetables cook, add the rice cakes to the same pot of boiling water. Cook 2 to 3 minutes, or until tender. Drain thoroughly.

Add the cooked rice cakes to the pan of vegetables and pork. Cook, stirring occasionally, 1 to 2 minutes, or until heated through and thoroughly combined. Turn off the heat; stir in the crème fraîche and remaining sesame oil. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Divide among 4 dishes. Top with the marinated green beans (including any liquid). Garnish with the green tops of the scallions. Enjoy!