Gochu Japchae: Stir-Fried Peppers with Tender Pork
Invest Just 10 Minutes! Learn How to Make Delicious Gochu Japchae!
Invest just 10 minutes and learn how to make fantastic Gochu Japchae! This recipe is perfect for a quick yet impressive dish. Enjoy the delightful combination of tender pork and crisp vegetables. Served with steamed buns (Hwa-ppang), it makes for a truly satisfying meal.
Main Ingredients- 300g thinly sliced pork (for bulgogi or japchae)
- 1 egg white
- Hwa-ppang (steamed buns), as desired
- 1/4 pack enoki mushrooms
- 1/2 yellow bell pepper
- 1/2 red bell pepper
- 1/2 green bell pepper
- 1/2 onion
Cooking Instructions
Step 1
First, let’s marinate the pork. In a bowl, combine the thinly sliced pork with 2 tsp of egg white, 1 tsp of Korean soy sauce, and 1 tsp of cornstarch. Mix well to ensure the marinade is evenly distributed. This step will make the pork incredibly tender.
Step 2
Wash all the bell peppers and green peppers, remove the seeds, and julienne them into thin strips, about 0.2cm thick. Cutting them too thinly might result in a less satisfying texture after stir-frying, so aim for a nice crispness!
Step 3
Slice the onion into strips of about 0.2cm thickness, similar to the peppers. For the enoki mushrooms, trim off the base and then gently pull them apart into bite-sized pieces by hand.
Step 4
All your ingredients are now prepped and ready to go! Just looking at these fresh components makes your mouth water, doesn’t it?
Step 5
We’ll now use a technique called ‘velveting’ the pork, a common method in Chinese cooking to achieve a tender texture. Heat about 15 tsp of cooking oil in a pan over low heat. Add the marinated pork and stir gently to prevent it from sticking together, cooking it in the oil until it’s just cooked through. Think of it as poaching the pork in oil. This process ensures the pork remains moist and tender.
Step 6
Once the pork is velveted, drain it thoroughly through a sieve to remove excess oil. This will make the dish cleaner and less greasy. (If your pork is already sliced very thinly or thickly, you can proceed with it as is. However, slicing it yourself can offer more control over the texture!)
Step 7
Now, let’s start stir-frying. Heat a wok or large pan over high heat and add 4 tsp of chili oil. Let it heat up until fragrant, which will give the dish a pleasant spicy aroma.
Step 8
Add the sliced onions and torn enoki mushrooms to the hot chili oil and stir-fry quickly until the onions become slightly translucent. Then, add 2 tsp of oyster sauce for an umami boost and stir to combine everything.
Step 9
Finally, add the velveted pork and the julienned bell peppers and green peppers to the pan. Stir-fry rapidly over high heat. Since the vegetables in Gochu Japchae can be eaten raw, it’s crucial not to overcook them. Keep the stir-frying quick to maintain their crisp, refreshing texture. Cook just until everything is heated through and well combined. Your delicious Gochu Japchae is ready! Enjoy it generously with warm steamed buns.
