Jeyuk bokkeum
제육볶음: thin pork stir-fried in a fiery gochujang sauce
Jeyuk bokkeum is the backbone of the Korean lunch: almost every baekban (set-meal) restaurant near offices and building sites serves it with rice, soup and little side dishes, and it is just as common at home on weeknights. Thin slices of pork are fried hard in a sauce of gochujang, chilli flakes, garlic and ginger until the edges catch and caramelise. Eat it over rice, or wrap a piece in a lettuce leaf with a slice of raw garlic. Chef's tip: fry the pork on its own first until the fat runs, then add the sauce; you get smoky, sticky edges instead of boiled meat.
- Total time
- 25 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 3
Ingredients
For the sauce
For the stir-fry
To serve
Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Mix 2 tbsp gochujang (Korean chilli paste), 1 ½ tbsp Korean chilli flakes (gochugaru), 2 tbsp soy sauce, 1 tbsp sugar, 4 cloves garlic, 1 tsp ginger, 1 tbsp toasted sesame oil and ¼ tsp black pepper in a bowl. Some cooks add a splash of rice wine, which contains alcohol; a tablespoon of grated apple or pear is a good alcohol-free swap.
Step 2: Heat 1 tbsp vegetable oil in a wok or large frying pan over a high heat. Add 1 ⅛ lb pork shoulder or belly and spread it out. Fry for 4 minutes, turning once, until the fat runs and the slices are browned at the edges.
4 minStep 3: Add 1 onion and stir-fry for 2 minutes, until it starts to soften.
2 minStep 4: Add the sauce and stir-fry for 4 to 5 minutes, until it coats the pork thickly and starts to catch on the edges of the pan. The pork must be cooked through with no pink inside (at least 145°F/145 °F). Common mistake: adding the sauce to a cool pan. The sugar and gochujang stew instead of caramelise; keep the heat high and keep the pork moving so the sauce doesn't burn.
5 minStep 5: Toss in 1 green chilli and 3 spring onions for the last minute, then sprinkle with 1 tsp toasted sesame seeds.
1 minStep 6: Serve hot with 3 bowls cooked short-grain rice and 12 lettuce leaves for wrapping.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 560 kcal
- Protein
- 32 g
- Carbs
- 50 g
- Fat
- 25 g
- Fibre
- 3 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does jeyuk bokkeum take?
- About 25 minutes in total: 10 minutes to prepare and 15 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 3 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it very spicy?
- It has some heat. Use less chilli for a milder version, or more if you like it hot.
- What can I use instead of soy sauce?
- Tamari, same amount (gluten free).
- What can I use instead of sugar?
- Caster sugar, same amount.
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