Market-Style Thick Bindaetteok in Pork Fat

Method

1. Rub the mung beans and glutinous rice clean and soak in plenty of cold water for at least 6 h. Change the water several times, pouring off every floating hull; leftover hulls dull the colour and make the texture coarse.

   Add in this stepSplit hulled mung beans 160 gGlutinous rice 20 g

2. Make the onion pickle sauce: stir the sugar into the soy sauce, vinegar and water until dissolved, add the onion cut into 2 cm squares and the gochugaru, and leave for 30 min. The onion turns slightly translucent, sweet and tangy.

   Add in this stepOnion 80 gSoy sauce 2 tbspRice vinegar 2 tbspSugar 1 tspWater (for the onion pickle) 2 tbspGochugaru (Korean chili flakes) ½ tsp

3. Cut the pork belly into strips 1 cm wide and 5 cm long and season with pepper. Cook them in a dry 26 cm pan on medium heat for 6 min to render the fat. When the edges are golden and fat has pooled in the pan, lift out only the meat and leave the rendered fat in the pan.

   Add in this stepPork belly 120 gBlack pepper 1 pinch

   medium heat

4. Boil water in a 18 cm pot on high heat, blanch the sprouts for 1 min, rinse in cold water, squeeze them bone-dry and chop into 3 cm lengths.

   Add in this stepMung bean sprouts 120 g

   high heat

5. Drain the soaked beans and rice. Blend two thirds of them with the water for 1 min until smooth, then add the last third and pulse just three or four times, leaving 2 to 3 mm bits. The smooth part keeps the inside moist; the coarse bits make the outside crunchy.

   Add in this stepWater (for grinding) 100 ml

6. Squeeze the kimchi dry and chop it finely; thinly slice the green onion. Fold the sprouts, kimchi, green onion, garlic and salt roughly into the bean batter, just before frying so it doesn't turn watery.

   Add in this stepWell-fermented napa cabbage kimchi 160 gLeek-style green onion 40 gGarlic, minced 10 gSalt ½ tsp

7. Add the lard and vegetable oil to the pork fat in the pan to make it about 5 mm deep. Heat on medium-high heat until a chopstick dipped in throws up lively small bubbles (about 175 °C), then ladle in one big portion and shape it into a 13 cm round, 1.5 cm thick. Press 3 or 4 pork strips onto the top, turn down to medium heat and fry for 5 min per side. When the edge is deep brown, puffed and crisp, flip carefully with two spatulas, turning it away from you. Keep the fat under 1 cm deep and turn the heat off at once if it smokes. Fry in 1 batch(es), topping up with the remaining lard and oil as needed.

   Add in this stepLard 45 gVegetable oil 45 ml

   medium-high heat→medium heat

8. Stand the pancakes on a rack rather than kitchen paper so the bottoms stay crisp. They are done when the centre springs back and no pink shows in the pork. Serve hot with the onion pickle sauce.