Korean Grilled Squid and Pork

Quick answer

Total time: 45 min
Level: Medium
Servings: 2 servings
Ingredients: 7

About this dish

Osam-gui is a Korean mixed grill of squid and pork belly marinated together in a spicy sauce of gochujang, soy sauce, sugar, minced garlic, and sesame oil, then cooked on a pan or grill.

As the pork belly renders its fat, it merges with the marinade to form a rich, savory-spicy sauce in the pan that the squid absorbs during cooking, producing a deeper flavor than either ingredient would achieve alone. The two proteins cook at very different rates, so the pork belly goes in first for five to six minutes to render its fat and partially cook through before the squid is added-squid toughens past three to four minutes of heat exposure. The gochujang paste scorches easily at high temperatures, so maintaining medium heat and turning the pieces frequently is necessary to build a glossy glaze without any burnt bitterness.

Ingredients

servings

IngredientAmountUnit

Squid200 gg

Pork belly200 gg

Gochujang2 tbsptbsp

Soy sauce1 tbsptbsp

Sugar½ tbsptbsp

Minced garlic1 tbsptbsp

Sesame oil½ tbsptbsp

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Instructions

Read the steps as a cooking flow: prep, heat, seasoning, doneness control, and finish.

6 steps

1

Season

Mix 2 tablespoons gochujang, 1 tablespoon soy sauce, 1/2 tablespoon sugar, 1 tablespoon minced garlic, and 1/2 tablespoon sesame oil until the sugar loosens and the sauce looks even, glossy, and thick enough to coat the ingredients.
2

Season

Prepare 200 g squid and 200 g pork belly into practical serving pieces, then coat them with the sauce.

Keep the pieces separated enough that the marinade touches the surfaces evenly instead of clumping in one spot.
3

Control

Heat a pan or grill over medium heat, then add only the pork belly first.

Cook it for 5 to 6 minutes, turning often, until some fat renders out and the meat is halfway cooked.
4

Season

When the pork fat and sauce combine into a glossy layer in the pan, add the squid.

Spread it out rather than piling it up, so it cooks quickly and avoids concentrated hot spots that burn gochujang.
5

Finish

Cook the squid over medium heat for only 3 to 4 minutes.

Turn it as the edges curl and the flesh turns opaque, then finish before it tightens and becomes chewy.
6

Finish

Turn off the heat once the sauce reduces and clings to the squid and pork with a glossy coating.

If it smells like it may scorch, turn more often and serve immediately.

Practical Cooking Checks

The cues that matter most while cooking.

Key technique: Pork belly fat merges with a bold gochujang sauce to glaze the squid in this mixed Korean grill.
Finish cue: Turn off the heat once the sauce reduces and clings to the squid and pork with a glossy coating.
Avoid this: Spread it out rather than piling it up, so it cooks quickly and avoids concentrated hot spots that burn gochujang.