Broccoli Rabe with a Hint of Pork

I was really intrigued when I saw a recipe for broccoli rabe in Naomi Duguid's Burmese cookbook.  Broccoli rabe is not a traditional Asian ingredient so I had to pause and take a look.  I'm a big fan of broccoli rabe, but Alex doesn't enjoy the inherently bitter flavor of broccoli rabe quite as much as I do.  And to be perfectly honest, it took me awhile to learn to like it.  I keep hoping that one day it will grow on Alex too.  Left to his own devices he likely would not have made this recipe, but I took the decision out of his hands by going to the farmers' market near my office and picking up the broccoli rabe specifically to make this recipe.  Unsurprisingly, he said the dish was "fine" but "not his favorite."  I knew going in that would be another dish that I would probably like more than him. There are a few things I can say unequivocally about this dish.  First, it has a lot of flavor.  Broccoli rabe has a lot of flavor in and of itself, but as with the other recipes we have tried from Naomi Duguid's Burmese cookbook, the dish picked up a surprising amount of heat and flavor from simmering for 3-4 minutes.  Second, it seems that all of the recipes from this cookbook are quite... wet.  It seems that the Burmese are really into simmering dishes in very thin sauces.  The Chinese tend to add cornstarch slurries to their stir-fries to thicken the pan juices into a sauce.  They also tend to stir-fry rather than simmer.  Given the dishes we have made from our cookbook, it seems that the Burmese have a different (but equally flavorful) philosophy. 

Recipe after the jump!




Broccoli Rabe with a Hint of Pork
Adapted from Burma:  Rivers of Flavor
By Naomi Duguid

INGREDIENTS:
1 lb broccoli rabe
1/4 lb pork shoulder or boneless pork tenderloin, thinly sliced
2 tbsp peanut oil
1large garlic clove, thinly sliced
1 tsp lemongrass, trimmed and minced
3-4 dried red chilis
1 1/2 tbsp red miso paste
1 cup water
1/2 tsp kosher salt

Chop the tough stems off the broccoli rabe and discard.  Roughly chop the broccoli rabe and wash thoroughly.  Drain and set aside.

Heat a wok over medium-high heat.  Add oil and when it is hot, add the sliced garlic.  Cook, stirring, for about 30 seconds.  Add the lemongrass and chilis and stir until aromatic.  Raise the heat to high, add pork, and stir-fry until the pork has been lightly seared on all sides.  Add the broccoli rabe and stir to mix well.

Mix the miso paste into 1 cup of water and add, together with salt.  Bring to a vigorous boil, cover and lower the heat slightly and cook until the broccoli rabe is just tender and the pork is cooked through, about 3-4 minutes.  Taste for salt and adjust seasonings if necessary.  

Serve with rice or noodles.