Description
I fell in love with Korean food during college when my roommate’s mom would send us back to school with containers of homemade kimchi and various banchan (side dishes). But it was her spicy pork that completely won me over. After YEARS of begging for the recipe and countless attempts to recreate it, I finally got pretty darn close with this version. Now it’s my go-to dinner when I’m craving something with a serious flavor kick!
These Korean Spicy Pork Bowls bring together tender, caramelized pork with a sweet-spicy-umami sauce that will make your taste buds do a happy dance. Served over rice with fresh vegetables and a runny egg on top? Pure heaven in a bowl! The best part? It comes together faster than delivery would take to arrive.
Ingredients
Scale
For the Spicy Pork:
- 1½ pounds pork shoulder or pork belly, thinly sliced (you can ask your butcher to do this, or partially freeze it to make slicing easier)
- 5 cloves garlic, minced (yes, that much!)
- 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, grated
- ½ medium onion, grated (the secret texture booster!)
- 5 tablespoons gochujang (Korean red pepper paste – don’t substitute if you can help it!)
- 3 tablespoons brown sugar (or more if you like it sweeter)
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon gochugaru (Korean red pepper flakes) – adjust to your heat preference
- 2 tablespoons apple or Asian pear, grated (the natural tenderizer!)
- 2 green onions, chopped
- 1 tablespoon neutral oil for cooking (like vegetable or canola)
For the Bowls:
- 4 cups cooked white rice (short grain works best, but use what you have)
- 1 English cucumber, thinly sliced
- 2 carrots, julienned or cut into thin matchsticks
- 1 cup kimchi (store-bought is fine, but homemade is amazing if you have it)
- 4 eggs (for frying)
- Sesame seeds for garnish
- Extra sliced green onions for garnish
- Sesame oil for drizzling