Dinner Tonight
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[Photograph: Nick Kindelsperger]

About the author: Nick Kindelsperger is the editor of Serious Eats: Chicago. He loves tacos and spicy food. You can follow him as @nickdk on Twitter.

Every recipe we publish is tested, tasted, and Serious Eats-approved by our staff. Never miss a recipe again by following @SeriousRecipes on Twitter!

Ingredients

  • 4 ounces bacon, chopped
  • 1 pound Korean rice cakes, cut into 2-inch lengths
  • 10 ounces spinach, cleaned, stemmed, and chopped
  • 1 cup kimchi, chopped
  • 2 teaspoons rice vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • 4 tablespoons sliced green scallions
  • 2 tablespoons sesame seeds, toasted

Procedures

  1. Cook bacon in a large 12-inch skillet set over medium heat until fat has rendered and bacon is crispy, about 6 minutes. When done, remove bacon pieces with a slotted spoon, leaving as much of the fat behind as possible. Drain bacon on paper towels.

  2. Increase heat to medium-high. When fat starts to smoke, add as many of the rice cakes as will fit in one layer, approximately half. Cook undisturbed until crusty on the bottom, about 20 seconds, and then flip the pieces with a spatula. Cook until crusty on this side, another 20 seconds. Remove the pieces with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. Repeat process until all the rice cakes are cooked. When done, turn the heat off.

  3. Discard all but one tablespoon of the fat, and heat over medium heat until shimmering. Add half of the spinach, and cook, tossing occasionally with a pair of tongs, until wilted. Add in the other half, and cook until wilted. Add the kimchi, and cook until any liquid has evaporated.

  4. In a small bowl, whisk together the rice vinegar and the sugar. Pour this into the skillet, along with the cooked rice cakes. Toss until everything is mixed together and warm.

  5. Serve immediately with a sprinkling of scallions and sesame seeds.