Korean Garlic Scape Bacon Stir-fry
Quick answer
- Total time
- 17 min
- Level
- Easy
- Servings
- 2 servings
- Ingredients
- 8
About this dish
Maneuljjong bacon bokkeum is a side dish built around rendered bacon fat.
Read more
Bacon goes into the pan first over low heat until the white fat turns translucent and releases its fragrant, smoky oil, and that rendered fat then becomes the cooking medium for the garlic scapes and onion that follow. No additional cooking oil is needed, and the depth of flavor that results from this single step makes the dish taste far more complex than its short ingredient list suggests. Garlic scapes bring a sharp, grassy bite and a satisfying crunch that disappears quickly if they sit on the heat too long, so the pan temperature is turned up at the end for a fast, high-heat finish. Soy sauce sets the salty foundation, and a drizzle of oligosaccharide syrup coats every piece in a thin, glossy lacquer that softens the salt with restrained sweetness. Because bacon is already heavily seasoned, the soy sauce should be added gradually and tasted as you go rather than measured out in advance. A scatter of toasted sesame seeds over the finished dish adds one more layer of nutty fragrance.
Ingredients
As an Amazon Associate, we may earn from qualifying purchases.
Instructions
Read the steps as a cooking flow: prep, heat, seasoning, doneness control, and finish.
- 1Heat
Trim any tough ends from 180 g garlic scapes, then cut them into 4 cm pieces.
Slice 70 g onion and 120 g bacon into similar thicknesses so they cook evenly in the pan.
- 2Control
Place the pan over low heat and cook the bacon first for 2 to 3 minutes.
Stir often, and spread it across the pan once the white fat turns translucent and enough smoky fat collects on the surface.
- 3Step
If the rendered fat does not lightly coat the pan, add only 0.5 tbsp neutral oil.
Add 0.5 tbsp minced garlic and stir for about 20 seconds, stopping before it browns or burns.
- 4Control
Add the onion first and stir-fry over medium heat for 1 minute, then add the garlic scapes.
Cook about 2 minutes more, just until the edges turn bright green and the scapes soften slightly.
- 5Season
Pour 1 tbsp soy sauce around the edge of the pan and mix right away.
If the bacon tastes very salty, use only 2 tsp, then add 1 tbsp oligosaccharide syrup and raise the heat to high.
- 6Finish
Stir-fry quickly for 1 to 2 minutes, until almost no liquid remains and the pieces look glossy.
Turn off the heat, sprinkle 1 tsp sesame seeds, and serve while the garlic scapes are still crisp.
Practical Cooking Checks
The cues that matter most while cooking.
- Key technique
- Maneuljjong bacon bokkeum uses rendered bacon fat to stir-fry garlic scapes for a smoky finish.
- Finish cue
- Stir-fry quickly for 1 to 2 minutes, until almost no liquid remains and the pieces look glossy.
- Avoid this
- Keep garlic scapes slightly crisp by avoiding overcooking.
Cooking decision evidence
Calculated Charim data and applicable official cooking and food safety guidance.
This recipe
17min, 8 ingredients
Category median
25min, 8 ingredients
Based on 220 recipes
Use-up ingredient planner
Turn these ingredients into two more meals
The overlap excludes basic seasonings. Open the next recipe and your selected dishes will stay with you.
Tot Muchim
onion, sesame seeds
Korean Chilled Seaweed Soup
onion, sesame seeds
Korean Beef and Water Parsley Pot Rice
onion, sesame seeds