Korean Grilled Pork Makchang
Quick answer
- Total time
- 43 min
- Level
- Hard
- Servings
- 2 servings
- Ingredients
- 8
About this dish
Makchang-gui is a Korean grilled pork large intestine dish where the offal is thoroughly cleaned, blanched for seven minutes to remove impurities and excess fat, then coated in a marinade of gochujang, soy sauce, sugar, minced garlic, gochugaru, sesame oil, and black pepper.
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The blanching step eliminates off-flavors and firms the intestine's texture so it holds up on the grill without falling apart. After fifteen minutes of marinating, the deeply wrinkled surface absorbs the sweet-spicy sauce, which caramelizes into a dark, sticky glaze over medium heat as the interior moisture slowly evaporates. The result is a chewy exterior with a rich, fatty interior that releases its flavor gradually with each bite. Patience with medium heat prevents the sugar-heavy sauce from scorching before the intestine is cooked through. Scissored into bite-sized pieces at the table and wrapped in perilla leaves or napa cabbage with a dab of doenjang, makchang-gui is a late-night staple in Korean grilled meat restaurants, particularly in the Daegu and Busan regions where the dish is most deeply rooted.
Ingredients
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Instructions
Read the steps as a cooking flow: prep, heat, seasoning, doneness control, and finish.
- 1Prep
Rub 600 g pork large intestine under running water, then turn it inside out.
Pull away thick fat and any residue by hand, but avoid cutting too deeply so the makchang keeps its chewy structure.
- 2Season
When the water boils, add the makchang and blanch for 7 minutes.
Rinse in cold water, then drain in a sieve until the surface is no longer wet, which helps the seasoning cling well.
- 3Season
Mix 2 tablespoons gochujang, 1 tablespoon soy sauce, 1 tablespoon sugar, minced garlic, gochugaru, sesame oil, and black pepper until smooth. Break up sugar lumps so the sauce coats evenly and does not burn in spots.
- 4Season
Add the marinade to the drained makchang and rub it into the folds.
Let it stand at room temperature for 15 minutes so the sweet spicy seasoning reaches the wrinkled surface before cooking.
- 5Season
Preheat the pan, spread the makchang in a single layer, and keep the heat at medium.
Leave it undisturbed for the first 3 minutes so surface moisture evaporates instead of steaming the sauce.
- 6Finish
When the edges turn deep brown, flip often and cook about 5 minutes more.
Lower the heat if the glaze darkens too fast, then cut into bite sized pieces and serve hot.
Practical Cooking Checks
The cues that matter most while cooking.
- Key technique
- Blanched pork large intestines are grilled with a spicy paste to achieve a smoky, chewy finish.
- Finish cue
- When the edges turn deep brown, flip often and cook about 5 minutes more.
- Avoid this
- Proper pre-boiling keeps makchang from becoming tough.
Cooking decision evidence
Calculated Charim data and applicable official cooking and food safety guidance.
This recipe
43min, 8 ingredients
Category median
32min, 8 ingredients
Based on 173 recipes