I was a sous chef in a kitchen where I learned this recipe. This is courtesy of my Korean friend, known as Daddy Jong. I was a bit stuck on what to write for the Critic this week, and he offered to make this dish from his homeland. According to people who have lived with him in the past, “It’s the one thing he CAN cook”. I could tell this meal had some deep meaning for him as he was knuckled down like a pro and got very engaged in the prep of it all. When he didn’t think it tasted right, he even conferred with his mother in Korea on how to fix it. Nevertheless I felt honoured to be learning this from him, there were some new ingredients for me, like the Korean hot pepper paste. My mouth was watering at the sight of this meal, but my nose was running from the heat by the end of if it. If you want something HOT (and yummy) to warm you up for the upcoming cold winter nights, this should do the trick.
Ingredients
Serves 4-6 people
- 3 onions
- 4 potatoes
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic
- 1/₂ teaspoon crushed ginger
- 700g of pork, sliced with bone
- 1/₄ of a cabbage, shredded
- 3 tablespoons Gochujang hot pepper paste
- 2 tablespoons light soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- Pinch of salt & pepper
- Oil for the wok
- Red pepper powder (optional)
Method
- Cut the onions in half, and then half again, then slice them. Do the same with the potatoes.
- Heat a large wok on medium heat, coating the bottom with oil. Place the onions, potatoes and shredded cabbage in the wok to cook for about 10 minutes. Stir occasionally to rotate them.
- Meanwhile, cut the pork into cubes, separating it from the bone.
- Put the meat (and bones) in the wok when the potatoes, cabbage and onions start to look cooked.
- While the meat is cooking, make the paste. In a small bowl mix together the sugar and soy sauce. Add the minced garlic, ginger, and hot pepper paste. Mix again. Put in the wok and stir. Add a sprinkle of hot pepper powder too if desired.
- Add a half cup of water to the wok, and let it simmer to reduce (12 mins).
- Once the sauce is reduced, and the meat and potatoes are cooked, take off the heat.
- Serve with rice.