Spicy pork bulgogi (called jeyuk bokkeum or dweji bulgogi) is another highly popular Korean BBQ dish. Jeyuk means pork, and bokkeum means stir-fry. It’s my son’s absolute favorite! He loves fatty pork and spicy food, which makes this dish perfect for him.
Unlike its beef counterpart, which is traditionally marinated in a soy sauce based sauce, pork is typically marinated in a spicy chili pepper paste (gochujang, 고추장) based sauce with lots of fresh garlic and ginger. For an authentic Korean dish, there is simply no substitute for gochujang. The recipe also uses gochugaru (Korean red chili pepper flakes). You can omit it if you like it less spicy or add more to make it spicier.
I also use grated apple to add an acidic sweet flavor to the marinade. The apple works really well with the pork.
Although any cut of pork can be used for this dish, pork shoulder or loin with some fat works best. I sometimes add sliced pork belly to intensify the pork flavor. You can normally find pre-sliced pork at Korean markets. If cutting the meat at home, partially freeze it for about an hour before slicing.
The marinated pork can be either grilled over open fire or pan-fried.
Serve with red or green leaf lettuce in which to wrap the meat, along with ssamjang (쌈장) or simply gochujang. Perilla leaves (kkaennip, 깻잎) and crown daisy (ssukgat, 쑥갓) are great vegetables to add to your wraps, if available.
Ingredients:
2 pounds thinly sliced pork shoulder (see bulgogi recipe for slicing tips)
1 small onion thinly sliced
3 scallions cut into 2-inch pieces
Marinade:
6 tablespoons Korean chili pepper paste (gochujang)
1 tablespoon Korean chili pepper flakes (gochugaru)
3 tablespoons rice wine (or mirin)
2 tablespoons sugar (or brown sugar)
1 tablespoon corn syrup (or honey)
2 tablespoons sesame oil
2 tablespoons minced garlic
1 tablespoon grated ginger
1/2 small apple grated (about 4 tablespoons) – optional
Mix all marinade ingredients well. Combine the meat, onion, and scallions with the marinade and mix well.
Marinate for about an hour. Grill over charcoal or pan fry in a skillet over medium high heat until slightly caramelized. (Preheat and lightly oil with sesame oil before adding the meat. If pan frying, do not crowd the skillet. Adjust the heat as necessary.)
It is nice to see more and more people enjoying Korean food and searching for the recipes these days. Thanks for sharing these recipes and hope to communicate with you through our blog. I am following you.
Keep it up - I'm really looking forward to reading more posts from you. How great that our paths crossed tonight :)
Excuse me now, while I try every recipe on this blog!
:))