Korean Grilled Pork Cheek
Quick answer
- Total time
- 40 min
- Level
- Medium
- Servings
- 4 servings
- Ingredients
- 9
About this dish
Dwaeji bolsal gui is a Korean grilled pork cheek dish in which the cheek meat is marinated in soy sauce, minced garlic, and ginger for at least 30 minutes before being seared quickly over high heat.
Read more
The cheek is the muscle used constantly for chewing, which produces an exceptionally fine-grained texture with dense collagen throughout. Slicing through a piece reveals alternating layers of fat and lean, so the richness shifts with each bite. High heat is non-negotiable for this cut. A hot surface triggers the Maillard reaction, building a well-browned crust while the interior stays juicy. Cooking the same cheek over low heat for an extended time breaks down the collagen completely, leaving the meat soft and flabby rather than springy. Grilling sliced onion and green onion in the same pan and layering them with the cooked pork sharpens the overall flavor, the pungent vegetables cutting through the cheek's deep meatiness.
Ingredients
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Instructions
Read the steps as a cooking flow: prep, heat, seasoning, doneness control, and finish.
- 1Prep
Blot 700g pork jowl with paper towels to remove blood, then identify the grain direction of the fat and lean layers and slice across to 0.5 to 1cm thickness for bite-size eating.
- 2Season
Mix 2 tbsp soy sauce, 1 tbsp cooking wine, 1 tsp minced garlic, half a teaspoon of minced ginger, half a teaspoon of pepper, and 1 tsp sesame oil into a uniform marinade.
- 3Prep
Add the marinade and half an onion cut into julienne strips to the jowl, toss by hand until evenly coated, and marinate for 15 minutes.
- 4Heat
Heat a grill or pan to high for 2 minutes until a thin wisp of smoke rises, then place the jowl and sear the surface quickly for 30 seconds to 1 minute per side.
- 5Control
Reduce to medium heat and continue turning frequently for 6 to 8 more minutes until the collagen melts and gives the meat a chewy, elastic bite. The jowl is done when the cross-section shows no pink.
- 6Finish
Scatter sliced green onion from 1 stalk evenly over the meat, raise to high heat, and cook 1 more minute so the onion aroma infuses the jowl, then serve immediately.
Practical Cooking Checks
The cues that matter most while cooking.
- Key technique
- High collagen in these pork cheek cuts creates an elastic texture in Korean Grilled Pork Cheek.
- Finish cue
- The jowl is done when the cross-section shows no pink.
- Avoid this
- Avoid overcooking; stop once the center is just cooked through.
Cooking decision evidence
Calculated Charim data and applicable official cooking and food safety guidance.
This recipe
40min, 9 ingredients
Category median
32min, 8 ingredients
Based on 173 recipes
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