The Seoul Bowl Crispy Korean Pork Belly Bowl With House Made Banchan Pickles Recipes

Steps:

• To make the marinade, put the onion, gochujang, soy sauce, garlic, sugar, sake, mirin, and sesame oil in a bowl and mix well to combine. Add the pork and turn to coat the meat. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
• The next day, set a large sauté pan over medium heat. Once it's hot, add the pork, working in batches so as not to overcrowd the pan and leaving any liquid in the bowl. Cook, stirring occasionally and flipping the meat, until lightly caramelized and golden brown on both sides, about 10 minutes. (If you overcrowd the pan, the meat will steam instead of sear.) Transfer to a platter.
• When the meat is cooked, open the buns, butter the interiors, and toast them until they are a light golden brown.
• To serve, spread both cut sides of each bun with a healthy smear of mayo and pile the spicy pork generously on the bottoms of the buns. Top with the sliced cucumbers. Serve immediately.
• Cooks' Note:
• The pork belly must be marinated overnight. You can also grill the pork on an outdoor grill over a high flame. The sugars in the marinade will char and caramelize, giving you a more interesting texture and flavor, but be careful not to burn the pork.

Steps:

• Marinade: The day before cooking, slice pork belly into bite-size pieces: 2-inch squares, ¼-inch thin. (Note: Cut the pieces thinner than shown in the video.) Set aside. Smash and peel the garlic, then finely chop. Use the flat part of your knife to press down on the garlic to further break it down, then continue to mince. Place in a mixing bowl along with the pork, sugar, sesame oil, soy sauce, sake, mirin, and gochujang. Mix the ingredients together and set aside.
• Peel and trim the onion, then slice in half. Cut each half into thin half-moon slices. Place the sliced onions on top of the pork mixture, but do not mix. Cover the bowl with plastic and marinate overnight in the refrigerator.
• Garnish: Prior to cooking, trim and discard scallion roots. Fill a bowl with water. Line up scallions in a flat, even layer and use a sharp knife to cut them thinly, employing a slicing motion, not a chopping motion. (Slicing with minimal pressure will keep the scallions bright and vibrant.) Place sliced scallions in water and move around to remove impurities. Drain in a colander, then wrap in a clean towel and squeeze out remaining liquid. Spread scallions on a paper towel-lined plate to further dry while cooking the pork.
• Pork: Remove marinated pork from refrigerator and mix in the onions. Heat a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat, 1 minute. Add ½ tablespoon oil and continue heating, 30 seconds. Add some of the pork and onion mixture in an even layer, making sure not to overcrowd the pan. Lower heat to medium and let the pork cook undisturbed until caramelized on one side, shaking the pan occasionally, 4-5 minutes. Flip meat over and cook the other side, 3-4 more minutes. Remove to a plate and repeat with remaining pork in batches. Garnish with scallions and serve with white rice.

Steps:

• For the sous vide pork belly: Preheat an immersion circulator to 70 degrees C or 158 degrees F.
• Put the pork belly into a vacuum bag and seal. Add to the water bath and cook for 12 full hours. Cool down in an ice bath and reserve for later use.
• For the char siu glaze: In a bowl, combine the hoisin sauce, honey, sriracha, tamari and five-spice. Whisk to combine and set aside. (This can be made ahead and stored in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.)
• For the pickled red onion: Cut each end of the onion off, then slice it in half from the top cut so you end up with 2 equal halves. Cut down the striations of the onion, about 1/8-inch, and reserve in a metal or glass bowl. Combine the vinegar, granulated sugar, salt and 1 cup water in a small pot and bring to a boil. Pour over the sliced onions and let them cool down to room temperature before storing. Leave them in the brine for storage. (These will stay good in the refrigerator indefinitely.)
• For the kitsune sauce: Combine the mayonnaise, red miso, hot sauce, sriracha, vinegar and salt. Whisk together and set aside. (This will stay good for up to one week in the refrigerator.)
• For the steamed rice: Bring 2 1/2 cups water to a boil in a medium pot. Add the calrose rice and cover with a lid or foil, then cook at a simmer until the rice is tender, about 20 minutes. Reserve until ready to serve.
• Preheat the canola oil in a skillet or a deep pan to 350 degrees F. Cut the pork belly into cubes about 1/2-inch across by 1/4-inch thick. Drop into the oil and fry until golden and crunchy, roughly 2 1/2 minutes. Reserve in a bowl, then glaze with the char siu glaze.
• Serve the char siu pork belly with a side of steamed rice drizzled with kitsune sauce, a pinch of pickled red onion and some cilantro as garnish.