Baek Jong-won’s Rich & Flavorful Stir-Fried Gochujang with Pork
The Ultimate Bibimbap Sauce and Triangle Kimbap Filling: Baek Jong-won’s Stir-Fried Gochujang with Pork Recipe
Introducing a magical stir-fried gochujang that makes all other side dishes jealous! It’s absolutely superb mixed into bibimbap and is also the perfect filling for triangle kimbap, creating a simple yet special meal. This is a true rice thief!
Ingredients
- 2 cups Gochujang (Korean chili paste)
- 3 cups finely minced onion
- 1 cup finely minced green onion
- 1 cup finely minced pork
- 1/3 cup minced garlic
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1 cup cooking oil
- 2 Tbsp soy sauce
Cooking Instructions
Step 1
First, wash the fresh onion thoroughly, peel it, and then mince it finely to yield 3 cups. Minced onion adds a smooth texture and sweetness to the stir-fried gochujang.
Step 2
Next, split the green onion in half and mince both the white and green parts to yield 1 cup. The fragrant aroma of the green onion will further enhance the flavor of the stir-fried gochujang.
Step 3
You need 1/3 cup of minced garlic, but I mistakenly used 1/2 cup! (But the taste was absolutely the best.) Minced garlic plays a crucial role in bringing out the savory flavor of the stir-fried gochujang, so be sure to measure correctly or add a little more for extra flavor.
Step 4
Prepare 1 cup of minced pork. It’s best to fill the cup generously, not just level it off as shown in the photo. After taking the picture, I added a bit more minced pork to enhance the rich juices and flavor.
Step 5
Chef Baek Jong-won emphasized one crucial point when making stir-fried gochujang: use a ‘well-coated pan.’ This prevents sticking and ensures even cooking, so please have a non-stick pan ready. ♡
Step 6
Place the prepared non-stick pan over medium heat and generously pour in 1 cup of cooking oil. This oil will play an important role in ‘deep-frying’ the ingredients later.
Step 7
Once the oil is slightly warm, boldly add all the prepared ingredients to the pan: minced onion, minced green onion, minced garlic, and minced pork.
Step 8
Stir the ingredients with a spatula to mix them evenly in the pan. Initially, a lot of moisture will be released from the ingredients, and you might not see much oil.
Step 9
As you continue to stir-fry, the moisture from the ingredients will gradually evaporate, and this is when delicious fat will start to render from the minced pork. Keep stir-frying until enough fat is released from the pork, to the point where you might think, ‘Did I add too much oil?’ This step is one of the secrets to the deep flavor of the stir-fried gochujang.
Step 10
Once enough fat has rendered from the pork, add 1/2 cup of sugar and stir-fry until the ingredients are coated and slightly caramelized in the oil. The sugar will melt and caramelize, adding a wonderful flavor.
Step 11
As the sugar melts and starts to caramelize at the bottom of the pan, a sweet and savory aroma, similar to that of ‘ppopgi’ (Korean sugar candy), will begin to rise. Once you smell this aroma, you’re ready for the next step.
Step 12
Now, pour 2 Tbsp of soy sauce around the edges of the pan, where the ingredients meet the pan. As the soy sauce sears, it will impart a rich, nutty soy sauce aroma.
Step 13
Once the soy sauce poured around the edges has caramelized slightly and the aroma is released, mix it well with all the ingredients. Then, add the main ingredient, 2 cups of gochujang, and begin to stir-fry in earnest.
Step 14
Stir-fry the gochujang, breaking up any clumps and mixing it well with the other ingredients in the pan. Continue stir-frying until all ingredients are evenly coated with the gochujang and have a uniform color.
Step 15
Once all ingredients are well combined with the gochujang, reduce the heat to low. From this point on, the most crucial step is to stir-fry slowly over low heat for a long time. Chef Baek Jong-won emphasized that this low-heat stir-frying process determines the overall quality of the finished stir-fried gochujang.
Step 16
To create Baek Jong-won’s stir-fried gochujang with a deep and rich flavor, you must stir-fry it thoroughly over low heat for at least 10 minutes. If you stir-fry it slowly with patience, the raw taste of the gochujang will disappear, leaving only a profound umami flavor.
Step 17
After carefully stir-frying over low heat for over 10 minutes, your delicious Baek Jong-won stir-fried gochujang, which will make any other side dish jealous, is complete!
Step 18
Allow the finished stir-fried gochujang to cool slightly before transferring it to an airtight container for refrigeration. Storing it this way will keep it fresh for a long time.
Step 19
With this homemade stir-fried gochujang, you’ll have a fantastic side dish! Mix it into warm rice for a delicious bibimbap, or enjoy it wrapped with fresh vegetables for a satisfying쌈 (ssam). I personally love mixing it with rice and wrapping it in seaweed – that combination is simply the best! ♡
Step 20
I hope you try making this delicious stir-fried gochujang recipe and have a wonderful meal! ^^
