Korean Spicy Pork Rice Bowl
Quick answer
Pork shoulder is sliced into strips, marinated in gochujang, chili flakes, soy sauce, garlic, and sugar for ten minutes, then stir-fried over high heat until the edges caramelize.
What makes this special
- Tender pork shoulder stir-fried in a spicy chili sauce highlights the heat of jeyuk gochujang deopbap.
- Pork shoulder marinated 10 minutes so gochujang penetrates the fibers
- Onion caramelized first to build sweetness before the pork goes in
Key ingredients
Core cooking flow
- 1 Cut 300 g pork shoulder into 5 cm strips.
- 2 Thinly slice half an onion and cut half a green onion on the diagonal.
- 3 Heat a pan over medium-high heat, then coat it lightly with oil.
Pork shoulder is sliced into strips, marinated in gochujang, chili flakes, soy sauce, garlic, and sugar for ten minutes, then stir-fried over high heat until the edges caramelize. Onion goes in first to build sweetness, and green onion added at the end brings a sharp, fresh bite that cuts through the spicy-sweet glaze. A final drizzle of sesame oil rounds out the aroma. Served over steamed rice, the bold sauce coats every grain, making this a satisfying single-bowl meal that comes together in under thirty minutes.
Instructions
Read the steps as a cooking flow: prep, heat, seasoning, doneness control, and finish.
- 1Season
Cut 300 g pork shoulder into 5 cm strips.
Mix it well with 2 tablespoons gochujang, 1 tablespoon chili flakes, soy sauce, garlic, and sugar, then marinate for 10 minutes so the seasoning clings evenly.
- 2Season
Thinly slice half an onion and cut half a green onion on the diagonal.
Keep 2 bowls of cooked rice warm before topping so the sauce loosens slightly and coats the grains easily.
- 3Control
Heat a pan over medium-high heat, then coat it lightly with oil.
Add the onion and stir-fry for about 1 minute, just until the edges turn translucent and the sweetness starts to come out.
- 4Control
Add the marinated pork and spread it across the pan over high heat.
Let it cook for the first 2 minutes without constant stirring so moisture evaporates and the surface begins to brown instead of steaming.
- 5Season
Stir-fry for another 2-3 minutes, until the pork is cooked through and the sauce thickens into a glossy coating.
If it tastes too salty or looks dry, loosen it with 1 tablespoon water.
- 6Finish
Add the green onion and cook for just 1 minute, then turn off the heat and drizzle in 1 teaspoon sesame oil.
Spoon the pork over the warm rice right away to finish the bowl.
After the steps
Pick a recipe that fits this dish.
Continue with shared ingredients, meal pairings, or a similar method.
Recipes That Go Well With This
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Dwaeji-bulgogi-ssukgat-deopbap is a Korean rice bowl of gochujang-marinated pork stir-fried with onion over high heat, mounded over steamed rice and finished at the last moment with crown daisy greens. The marinade builds from gochujang, chili flakes, soy sauce, sugar, and minced garlic into a sauce that is simultaneously spicy, sweet, and deeply savory. A small amount of pear or kiwi juice added to the marinade tenderizes the pork shoulder before cooking. High heat over a short cooking time is essential for developing a browned crust on the meat, which produces a roasted, smoky depth that low-and-slow cooking cannot replicate. Pork shoulder carries enough intramuscular fat that once it renders under heat, it mingles with the sauce and soaks down into the rice below, creating a rich, glossy base at the bottom of the bowl. The crown daisy -- ssukgat -- goes in during the last thirty seconds before the heat is cut. The timing window is narrow: add it too early and the aromatic oils cook off, leaving only bitterness; add it with the heat already off and the fragrance stays locked inside the leaves. At the right moment, heat releases ssukgat's distinctive chrysanthemum-family herbaceousness, a green, almost medicinal brightness that cuts cleanly through the heaviness of the pork and sauce. The finished bowl is complete without side dishes.
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