If you ask any Korean man what his favorite Korean dish is, nine out of ten will tell you it’s jeyuk bokkeum (제육볶음), or spicy stir-fried pork. It’s not the dish that first comes to mind when you think of Korean food, but it’s a classic comfort food that has a place in every Korean’s heart, especially the men (for some reason, I can’t explain why), and understandably so: it’s sweet and savory and spicy, packed with protein and flavor, and it goes insanely well with rice. Best of all, with just a few Korean pantry staples, you can make it easily in your own kitchen!
Being a lazy home cook, the way I usually make jeyuk bokkeum is to mix the sauce ingredients first, use it as a marinade for the meat, then just stir-fry the marinated meat along with the veggies. That’s the recipe I originally shared, and I still stand by it because it’s that easy. But this time I tried building the flavors, ingredient by ingredient, adding a couple extra condiments, and I think I’ve perfected it. Both recipes are valid in my opinion, but if you don’t putting in a little more effort, I highly suggest you give this one a try.
The Meat is SO Important!
Jeyuk bokkeum is a pork dish, but that doesn’t mean you can just use any type of pork.
- Ideally, you want a cut that isn’t too lean. I usually go for collar or shoulder, but belly works too.
- The meat needs to be thinly against the grain, but not as thin as shabu shabu meat because it will fall apart. Most Korean butchers will set pre-sliced pork that’s intended specifically for this dish, which is your best option. If you don’t have access to a Korean butcher, slice the meat as thinly as you can (freeze it slightly first to make it easier).
What Vegetables to Use
This recipe calls for cabbage and onion, but other popular options are scallion (the white parts), sliced carrot, and perilla leaves. Feel free to try adding any mild-flavored vegetable of choice!
ULTIMATE Jeyuk Bokkeum (Korean Spicy Pork Stir Fry)
Ingredients
Instructions
-
Build the aromatic base
Heat a skillet over medium-high heat and add the neutral oil. Once hot, add the minced garlic. Stir-fry just until fragrant.
-
Cook the pork
Add the sliced pork directly into the pan. Stir-fry until the meat is no longer pink and starts to take on a bit of color at the edges.
-
Season and glaze
Add in rice wine, gochugaru, soy sauce, oyster sauce, gochujang, and optional MSG. Mix thoroughly so the pork is evenly coated. The sauce should start to thicken slightly and cling to the meat.
-
Add vegetables
Toss in the sliced onion and cabbage. Stir everything together and cook until the vegetables are just softened but still retain a bit of bite.
-
Finishing touches
Turn off the heat completely. Drizzle in the sesame oil and give everything a final toss. The aroma should immediately become deeper and more rounded. Finish with chopped green onion and a generous sprinkle of sesame seeds. Serve immediately with a bowl of steamed rice.
