Savory and Sweet Pork Belly and Korean Chili Stir-Fry
Baek Jong Won’s Style: The Perfect Harmony of Chewy Pork Belly and Crisp Korean Chili Peppers – A Rice-Stealing Stir-Fry
The magic of savory and sweet to awaken your appetite! Chewy pork belly meets fragrant Korean chili peppers to create an unforgettable flavor. Introducing the ultimate side dish that will make you finish a bowl of rice in no time: Pork Belly and Korean Chili Stir-Fry. How could it possibly not taste good?
Main Ingredients- 600g Pork Belly
- 150g Korean Green Chili Peppers (Gwageo Chut)
- 2/3 cup Green Onion (approx. 1 stalk)
- 3 Cheongyang Peppers (Spicy Korean Peppers)
Seasoning Ingredients- 2 Tbsp Minced Garlic (or 10-15 cloves sliced garlic)
- 3 Tbsp Brown Sugar
- 1/3 cup Soy Sauce (approx. 80ml)
- 2 Tbsp Minced Garlic (or 10-15 cloves sliced garlic)
- 3 Tbsp Brown Sugar
- 1/3 cup Soy Sauce (approx. 80ml)
Cooking Instructions
Step 1
While this recipe uses sliced garlic, you can also use minced garlic according to your preference. Using sliced garlic allows its flavor to gently infuse, offering a more refined taste. Personally, I highly recommend using sliced garlic!
Step 2
Wash the Korean green chili peppers, remove their stems, and cut them into bite-sized pieces, about the length of a finger joint. Finely chop the green onion and Cheongyang peppers.
Step 3
Cut the pork belly into bite-sized pieces, suitable for stir-frying. Cutting them too small might cause them to break apart during cooking, so aim for a moderate size.
Step 4
Heat a pan and start by stir-frying the pork belly pieces. You don’t need to add oil, as the pork belly will render its own fat.
Step 5
Cook the pork belly until it’s nicely browned and crispy. It’s important to bring out the full flavor of the pork belly at this stage. Cook it until you think, ‘I could just wrap this in lettuce and eat it right now!’
Step 6
Once the pork belly is golden brown and well-cooked, add the chopped green onion and prepared sliced garlic (or minced garlic) to the pan.
Step 7
As the green onion becomes fragrant, sprinkle the brown sugar evenly over the ingredients in the pan. The sugar will caramelize with the pork belly, creating a delicious coating.
Step 8
The sugar will start to stick to the pan and release a sweet caramel aroma, similar to the smell of toffee! This is the perfect moment to enhance the flavor.
Step 9
Tilt the pan and toss the ingredients (this is called ‘wok hei’!) to infuse them with a smoky aroma from the heat. If using a gas stove, slightly tilt the pan so the flame touches the bottom of the pan to achieve this. This process adds a smoky depth to the caramelized sugar coating.
Step 10
If you are using minced garlic, add it now and stir-fry with the other ingredients instead of adding sliced garlic earlier. Now, push all the cooked ingredients to one side of the pan. You’ll see the rendered pork fat pooling on the other side.
Step 11
Pour the soy sauce into the empty space on the pan where the fat has collected. As the soy sauce sizzles in the hot oil, it will fry and release its rich, savory aroma. This step is key to maximizing the soy sauce flavor.
Step 12
Stir everything together again to coat the pork belly evenly with the delicious soy sauce mixture. Ensure the sauce adheres well to the ingredients as you stir-fry.
Step 13
Finally, add the cut Korean green chili peppers and Cheongyang peppers and mix quickly.
Step 14
Stir-fry on high heat for a short time, just enough to coat the chili peppers without them becoming too soft, and then immediately remove from heat. Keeping the chili peppers crisp is a key point of this dish.
Step 15
When serving, it’s better to use a slightly concave bowl rather than a wide, flat plate. This helps to retain the warmth and aroma of the dish for longer.
Step 16
A delicious Pork Belly and Korean Chili Stir-Fry is complete, with a savory-sweet sauce that clings perfectly and the delightful aroma of the chili peppers! Enjoy your meal!
