The Seoul Bowl "Crispy Korean Pork Belly Bowl with House-Made Banchan Pickles"
- Level: Advanced
- Yield: 6 to 8 servings
- Total: 8 days 2 hr 30 min (includes fermenting, marinating and pickling time)
- Active: 1 hr 40 min
Ingredients
Pork Belly:
1 cup gochujang (Korean hot pepper paste)
1 cup honey
1 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup sesame oil
1/2 cup toasted white sesame seeds
1/4 cup garlic, finely chopped
1/4 cup fresh ginger, pureed
One 3- to 5-pound piece pork belly, skin off
Kimchi (Fermented Napa Cabbage):
1 head Chinese (napa) cabbage
1 cup kosher salt
One 8-ounce bottle kimchi marinade
2 cups scallions, chopped into 2-inch sections
1 cup carrot, julienne
1/2 cup garlic, chopped
1/2 cup fresh ginger, chopped
1/4 cup gochugaru (Korean chile flakes)
1/4 cup fish sauce
Korean Pickled Onion (Yangpa Jangajji):
2 round onions, chopped into 1-inch pieces
1 jalapeno chile, thinly sliced
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup white vinegar
Wakame Seaweed and Cucumber Quick Pickle:
1 cup dried wakame seaweed
2 English cucumbers
2 tablespoons kosher salt
1 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar
1 cup rice wine vinegar
Korean Mung Bean Sprout Salad:
1/4 cup kosher salt
One 1-pound bag mung bean sprouts
2 tablespoons sesame oil
1 tablespoon dashi powder
1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds
1 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 cup scallions, thinly sliced
Steamed White Rice:
1 tablespoon cornstarch
3 cups short-grain rice
Directions
Special equipment:
a Japanese rice steamer- For the pork belly: Combine gochujang, honey, soy sauce, sesame oil, sesame seeds, garlic and ginger in a small saucepan and bring to a simmer. Cook on medium-low heat for 10 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool. For best results let the marinade rest for 48 hours to allow flavors to marry.
- Reserve 1 cup marinade to thicken and use as glaze when finishing dish.
- Place pork belly in a hotel pan. Pour marinade over pork belly, making sure all surfaces are covered. Cover in foil and let marinade 24 to 48 hours, refrigerated.
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
- Roast pork for 4 hours. Remove from marinade and let pork cool overnight in refrigerator.
- Slice pork into 2-by-8-inch blocks, then slice into 1/4-inch slabs.
- For the kimchi: Quarter the cabbage, then slice into 2-inch sections. Place cabbage in a container and cover with cold water. Add salt. Cover and let sit 12 hours to allow cabbage to brine.
- Drain well. Combine cabbage with kimchi marinade, scallions, carrots, garlic, ginger, gochugaru and fish sauce in a large mixing bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and let sit at room temperature for 24 hours. Bottle and refrigerate.
- For the Korean pickled onion: Place onions and jalapeno in a mason jar or container with lid.
- Combine soy sauce, sugar, lemon juice, vinegar and 1/2 cup water in a saucepot and bring to a simmer. Pour hot liquid over onions, then let cool. Refrigerate 48 hours before serving.
- For wakame seaweed and cucumber quick pickle: Place wakame seaweed in a bowl and cover with cold water to hydrate.
- Quarter cucumbers, then slice into 1/2-inch pieces. Place cucumbers in a colander and sprinkle liberally with 1 tablespoon salt and 1 tablespoon sugar. Let cucumber rest, draining in sink to allow water to be drawn out, 1 hour.
- Simmer vinegar with remaining cup sugar and tablespoon salt in a saucepan.
- Let cool. Squeeze moisture from wakame, then combine with cucumber. Cover with marinade and refrigerate overnight before using.
- For the Korean mung bean sprout salad: Bring 4 cups water and the salt to a boil in a saucepan.
- Place bean sprouts in a colander in sink. Pour boiling salted water over bean sprouts, then rinse with cold water to stop cooking. Let drain well.
- Combine bean sprouts with sesame oil, dashi, sesame seeds, pepper and scallions in a mixing bowl and let flavors marry 30 minutes or longer, refrigerated.
- For the steamed white rice: Wash rice under cold running water until water runs clear. Add rice to a Japanese rice steamer and add 3 cups cool water. Cook until done, then let rest 10 to 15 minutes.
- For the Seoul bowl: Heat a cast-iron skillet. Cook pork belly until crispy.
- Stir the cornstarch into 2 tablespoons water in a small bowl, then stir into the reserved pork belly marinade in a small saucepan. Simmer 1 minute.
- Mound 1/2 to 3/4 cup rice in an individual serving bowl. Arrange the four Korean pickles on rice. Fan 3 to 4 slices cooked pork belly on pickles/rice. Drizzle with thickened sauce.
- Garnish with thinly sliced scallions. Repeat with remaining ingredients.