Jeyuk Onigirazu (Korean Rice Sandwich)

Method

1. Add the salt, sesame oil and sesame seeds to the warm rice and fold them through with a cutting motion, then let it cool a little. Rice that is too hot makes the seaweed soggy and melts the cheese. Wash the lettuce and pat it completely dry.

   Add in this stepWarm cooked short-grain rice 320 gSalt 1 pinchToasted sesame oil 1 tspToasted sesame seeds 1 tsp

2. Cut the pork into small 2 cm pieces and massage with the gochujang, gochugaru, soy sauce, sugar and garlic; marinate for 10 min. Small pieces give a neat cross-section.

   Add in this stepPork shoulder or neck, thinly sliced 160 gGochujang (Korean chilli paste) 4 tspGochugaru (Korean chilli flakes) ½ tspSoy sauce 1 tspSugar 1 tspMinced garlic 1 tsp

3. Heat part of the oil in a 20 cm frying pan over medium-low heat, crack in the eggs, break the yolks and spread them flat, and fry for 3 min, turning once. Cook the yolk right through so it does not run when you cut. Set aside on a plate.

   Add in this stepNeutral oil 0.6 tspEggs 2

   medium-low heat

4. Add the rest of the oil to the same pan with the marinated pork and onion and stir-fry over medium-high heat for 4 min. Keep going until no pink remains and the sauce has reduced to a sticky coating; leftover liquid makes the rice soggy. Spread on a plate to cool slightly.

   Add in this stepNeutral oil 0.9 tspOnion, thinly sliced 40 g

   medium-high heat

5. Lay a large sheet of cling film on the counter and place a seaweed sheet on it, shiny side down, as a diamond. In the centre, spread a quarter of the rice into a thin 10 cm square, then layer cheese, lettuce, pork, the egg spread with mayonnaise and more lettuce, and cover with another quarter of the rice. Fold the four corners of the seaweed into the middle, wrap tightly in the film and leave seam-side down for 3 min. Repeat for each sandwich.

   Add in this stepFull-size seaweed sheets for gimbap (gim / nori) 2Cheddar slices 2Romaine or soft lettuce leaves 4Mayonnaise 2 tsp

6. Dip a knife in water and cut straight through the middle, film and all. Use a back-and-forth sawing motion instead of pressing down for a clean cut. Serve cut side up.