If you are looking at the title of this recipe and thinking ‘Wow, that’s some kind of mix going on there?’ you would be forgiven.
But a certain daughter of the team is responsible for this one, and this is the culmination of an exploration of Asian food over the summer holidays. With visits to Korean supermarkets, to pick up exotic ingredients such as Gochujang and Tteokbokki to cook at home. All in order to replicate certain dishes that can be found in a well-known ‘fusion’ restaurant chain. Ahem.
Popular in Korean street food, Tteokbokki is essentially a long, cylinder-shaped rice cake that is chewy and plump in texture once boiled quickly in a stock. And typically, the spicy sweet fermented paste that is Gochujang is also added to the broth, along with a selection of vegetables such as spring onions, carrots and mushrooms. That alone is quite a meal but we are butchers after all and it always pays to add just a little bit of protein to proceedings.
Picanha is the meat of choice here, which comes from the top of the rump and is deliciously rich in flavour. Yes, this is a cut that is South American in origin and the marinade helps to tenderise this cut but if you wanted to speed things up, fillet would work just as well.
Of course, once you add the soft boiled egg, sliced pink radishes and a pinch of Togarashi (which is a Japanese spice blend) everything instantly becomes ‘Instagrammable’. Which is all the kids want these days.
Isn’t that right, Isla?
Ingredients - serves 4
2 x 200g Picanha steaks
2tbs Gochujang paste
2tbs light soy sauce
1tbs fish sauce
1tbs rice wine vinegar
1tbs honey
For the broth
1ltr chicken stock
1tbs Gochujang paste
2 carrots, peeled and ribboned
200g chestnut mushrooms, sliced
5 spring onions, sliced
200g Tteokbokki
To garnish
4 eggs, soft boiled
6 radishes, sliced thinly
Togarashi
Method
First, mix together the Gochujang, soy, rice wine vinegar, fish sauce and honey in a bowl and put the Picanha steaks in and coat all over. Cover with cling film and leave in the refrigerator for at least two hours (overnight is better).
When ready to cook, bring the steaks back out and bring to room temperature.
Place the chicken stock into a pot and bring a simmer and then add the Gochujang paste, carrot and mushroom, stir and gently cook for 10 minutes.
Next, place a frying pan or griddle on the hob and get it smoking hot. Brush any excess marinade off the steaks and add to the pan. Cook for one minute each side and then reduce the heat, cooking for a further minute on each side or until the internal temperature reaches 55°C. Leave to rest for 10 minutes in a warm space.
Whilst the steak is resting, add the Tteokbokki and spring onions to the broth and simmer for a further 5 minutes, or until the rice cakes are soft and squidgy.
To serve, ladle a good amount of the spiced broth into deep bowls and thinly slice both the Picanha steaks and distribute, plating to one side.
To dress, add some of the radish to each bowl, along with a soft boiled egg, sliced in half and sprinkle everything with a good pinch of Togarashi.
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