Gently spiced pork with tender spinach combine to make a quick weeknight deopbap (over rice dish).

Turmeric and Pork Deopbap with Spinach

Serves 2-3

Initially, this was conceptualized as a Thai-inspired dish. But, ultimately, I couldn’t find the ingredients I was looking for in time. I went back to the drawing board and this is what came from it. It surpassed my wildest imagination with how simple and varied the flavors were. Topped with a fried egg to lend richness and mix with the pan juices to make a “sauce”, the entire dish comes together in the time it takes the rice cooker to cook your rice!

Ingredients

Sauce

1.5 t doenjang

1.5 t gochugaru

0.75 ground turmeric

0.50 t ground black pepper

0.25 t dashida or powdered bullion – optional

0.25 t kosher salt

3 T soy sauce

2 T water

1.5 T oyster sauce

2 t fish sauce

1.5 t rice vinegar

1.5 t honey or sugar

1 t maesil

Stir Fry

150g (half a large) onion, sliced

100g (half a large) carrot, sliced thinly

300g (a little less than 0.75 lb) ground pork

10g (2 t) ginger, minced

6 garlic cloves, minced

3 – 4 cheongyang or serrano chilis, sliced

342g (0.75 lb) spinach

Recipe Know-how

1.      In a medium bowl combine the doenjang, gochugaru, turmeric, pepper, dashida and salt to make a paste.

Make this paste first to prevent the turmeric from clumping when mixed with the liquids.

• Add the remaining sauce ingredients and mix well. Set aside.

2.      In a large saute pan over medium-high, heat 1 T vegetable oil.

• Add the onions and carrots and cook for 3 – 4 minutes or until they begin to soften.

• Add the pork and cook until no pink remains about 2 – 3 minutes breaking up the meat as it cooks.

• Add the ginger, garlic and chilis cooking for 1 minute longer.

• Add the sauce rinsing out the bowl with another 2 T of water added to the pan as well. Cook stirring occasionally until the sauce has reduced by 75%, about 2 – 3 minutes.

• Add the spinach and cook stirring often until it has wilted and softened, about 3 minutes.

3.      Serve over rice and top with a fried egg.