Jeyuk Bokkeum (Spicy Korean Stir-Fried Pork)

Method

1. Slice the pork 3 mm thick and cut into bite-sized pieces of about 4 to 5 cm; a butcher can slice it thinly for you. Cut the onion into 1 cm strips and the carrot into thin 3 mm half-moons. Slice the leek diagonally into 4 cm pieces and the chilli diagonally 0.5 cm thick.

2. In a large bowl, mix the gochujang, gochugaru, soy sauce, sugar, mirin, garlic, ginger and pepper into a marinade. Add the pork and squeeze it through the sauce with your hands so every slice is coated, then leave it to marinate for 30 min. Short on time? Even 10 minutes helps.

   Add in this stepGochujang (Korean chilli paste) 1½ tbspGochugaru (Korean chilli flakes) 1 tbspSoy sauce 1 tbspSugar 1 tbspMirin or Korean cooking wine 1 tbspMinced garlic 2 tspMinced ginger ½ tspGround black pepper 1 pinchPork shoulder or neck, thinly sliced 300 g

3. Heat the oil in a 26 cm frying pan or wok over medium-high heat for 1 minute, add the marinated pork, spread it out and stir-fry for 5 min. The sugar and gochujang in the marinade catch easily, so keep scraping the bottom with a spatula. The pork is done when no pink remains and the edges are lightly charred.

   Add in this stepNeutral oil 1 tbsp

   medium-high heat

4. Add the onion and carrot and stir-fry over medium-high heat for 2 min more, until the onion turns translucent and the vegetables are glossy with sauce. If the bottom starts to burn, add 1 to 2 tablespoons of water to loosen the sauce.

   Add in this stepOnion ½Carrot 40 g

   medium-high heat

5. Add the leek and chilli and stir-fry over medium-high heat for 1 min until fragrant, then turn off the heat. Drizzle with the sesame oil, sprinkle with sesame seeds and toss once. Sesame oil added off the heat keeps its nutty aroma.

   Add in this stepKorean leek or thick spring onion (daepa) ½Green chilli 1Toasted sesame oil 2 tspToasted sesame seeds 1 tsp

   medium-high heat

6. Serve with hot steamed rice. It is also delicious wrapped in lettuce or perilla leaves with a little rice, Korean ssam style.