Leftover Challenge #3: Korean Grilled Pork Salad with Crispy Rice Cakes

It's my last week in DC - the hubby and I are shutting down the house and getting ready for the big move across the country. Some of you may know that I LOVE Korean food. I have been lucky to live and eat in the DC metro area, which has some of the best Korean food in the country. Because of my seven years in this area I constantly have cravings for good Korean BBQ. So this week's leftover challenge is inspired by my favorite Korean BBQ place, Honey Pig in Annandale, VA.

My freezer is starting to look pretty barren, but I did find some packaged rice cakes (available at most Asian groceries) and pork. In the fridge I had lettuce from previous salads, gochujang paste (also available at many Asian groceries), and miso paste. And in my pantry I had mirin, sesame oil, and honey. My inspiration was Korean BBQ - perfectly cooked meat that is coated in a rich, spicy-sweet chili paste and tucked nicely into lettuce leaf. So flavorful, but relatively light and healthy. My idea was to take this concept and make it into a spring salad - chile-marinated grilled meat nestled on a bed of greens with crispy rice cake "croutons." This salad was oh-so-good! I'm sad to be leaving DC but glad that I can take this recipe with all my favorite Korean flavors with me to Utah.

Here are the ingredients you need:

Marinade:

• 1 tbsp gochujang paste
• 1 tsp mirin vinegar
• 1 tsp toasted sesame oil
• 1 tsp miso paste
• 1 tsp honey

Salad dressing:

• 1 tbsp of the marinade from above
• 1 tbsp olive oil

Salad:

• Red leaf lettuce, washed, dried, cut into bite-sized pieces
• 1/2 lb boneless pork chops, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
• 1 tsp olive oil
• 1/4 lb Korean-style rice cakes, sliced
• 1 tsp toasted sesame seeds

Place the pork in a small mixing bowl and coat with a tablespoon of the marinade above. Marinate the meat for at least 20 minutes, up to 24 hours. Add the olive oil to a hot non-stick skillet and slowly place the sliced rice cakes into the oil. Fry the rice cakes until they are golden brown, about 2 minutes on each side. Remove them with a slotted spoon and set aside on a plate, seasoning immediately with a pinch of kosher salt. Sear the pork in the skillet, browning all sides, about 3 -4 minutes total. Remove the pork and set aside on a plate. Toss the lettuce with the salad dressing then add the hot pork, crispy rice cake croutons and garnish with a sprinkle of sesame seeds.

You can substitute the pork in this recipe with chicken, beef, shrimp, or tofu.