Gochujang Pork Potjie
Pork shoulder marinated in gochujang and grated pear, seared, then layered with potato, squash and shiitake and braised without stirring, Korean jjim style.
Method
Cut the pork into 4 cm chunks. Mix the gochujang, soy sauce, grated pear, brown sugar, gochugaru and minced garlic and ginger, toss the pork in it and marinate for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, cut the onion into thick slices, the potatoes and carrots into 4 cm chunks and the squash into 5 cm pieces, and stem and halve the shiitake.
Add in this stepPork shoulder (boneless, in one piece) 400 gGochujang (Korean chilli paste) 2 tbspSoy sauce 2 tbspAsian pear (or apple), grated 100 gBrown sugar 1 tbspGochugaru (Korean chilli flakes) 1 tspGarlic (cloves) 3Fresh ginger 10 g
Heat the oil in a 22 cm cast-iron or heavy pot. Wipe most of the marinade off the pork with your fingers, leaving it in the bowl, then brown the pork over medium-high heat for , turning it. Too much marinade on the meat will burn on the bottom. Stop when the seared sides are brown.
Add in this stepCooking oil 1 tbsp
medium-high heatAdd the onion and cook over medium heat for until softened.
Add in this stepOnion 1
medium heatPour the water into the marinade bowl, swirl to rinse it out and tip it all into the pot. Cover and cook the pork first over low heat for , keeping it at a very gentle bubble.
Add in this stepWater 300 ml
low heatLayer the potatoes and carrots on top of the pork first, then the squash, and the shiitake on top. Never stir. Cover and cook over low heat for . It is done when a chopstick slides easily into the potatoes and the sauce has reduced by about half and turned glossy.
Add in this stepPotatoes (medium) 2Carrots 1Kabocha or butternut squash 150 gFresh shiitake mushrooms 4
low heatTurn off the heat, drizzle with sesame oil and scatter with sliced spring onions and sesame seeds. Push the ladle to the bottom so each serving gets every layer, and serve with rice.
Add in this stepToasted sesame oil 1 tspSpring onions 2Toasted sesame seeds 1 tsp
Cook's tip
Enzymes in the pear tenderise the pork, but marinating for more than half a day can make it mushy. Keep the squash on an upper layer; at the bottom it collapses. For less heat, leave out the gochugaru.
Cooking it at camp
Toss the pork in the marinade at home and pack it in a zip-lock bag in the cool box; it marinates on the way. Use a No. 1 or No. 2 three-legged potjie with a full bed of coals only for searing, then keep it gentle with 6 to 8 coals. Gochujang sauce catches easily, so add a splash of water if it reduces too far.