Spicy Korean Pork Belly (Jeyuk Bokkeum)
- Level: Easy
- Yield: 6 servings
-
- Nutritional Analysis
- Per Serving
- Serving Size
- 1 of 6 servings
- Calories
- 972
- Total Fat
- 90
- Saturated Fat
- 30
- Carbohydrates
- 22
- Dietary Fiber
- 1
- Sugar
- 11
- Protein
- 17
- Cholesterol
- 109
- Sodium
- 648
- Total: 8 hr 30 min
- Active: 30 min
Ingredients
2 pounds pork belly
5 cloves garlic
4 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
4 tablespoons soy sauce
3 tablespoons sake, or any good white wine
2 tablespoons mirin
1 cup gochujang, Korean fermented red chile paste, available at Asian specialty stores or online
1 large onion
3 scallions
2 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
Steamed white rice, for serving
Directions
- Marinade: The day before cooking, slice pork belly into bite-size pieces: 2-inch squares, ¼-inch thin. (Note: Cut the pieces thinner than shown in the video.) Set aside. Smash and peel the garlic, then finely chop. Use the flat part of your knife to press down on the garlic to further break it down, then continue to mince. Place in a mixing bowl along with the pork, sugar, sesame oil, soy sauce, sake, mirin, and gochujang. Mix the ingredients together and set aside.
- Peel and trim the onion, then slice in half. Cut each half into thin half-moon slices. Place the sliced onions on top of the pork mixture, but do not mix. Cover the bowl with plastic and marinate overnight in the refrigerator.
- Garnish: Prior to cooking, trim and discard scallion roots. Fill a bowl with water. Line up scallions in a flat, even layer and use a sharp knife to cut them thinly, employing a slicing motion, not a chopping motion. (Slicing with minimal pressure will keep the scallions bright and vibrant.) Place sliced scallions in water and move around to remove impurities. Drain in a colander, then wrap in a clean towel and squeeze out remaining liquid. Spread scallions on a paper towel-lined plate to further dry while cooking the pork.
- Pork: Remove marinated pork from refrigerator and mix in the onions. Heat a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat, 1 minute. Add ½ tablespoon oil and continue heating, 30 seconds. Add some of the pork and onion mixture in an even layer, making sure not to overcrowd the pan. Lower heat to medium and let the pork cook undisturbed until caramelized on one side, shaking the pan occasionally, 4–5 minutes. Flip meat over and cook the other side, 3–4 more minutes. Remove to a plate and repeat with remaining pork in batches. Garnish with scallions and serve with white rice.