Poke Me Pork Recipes

THE SEOUL BOWL "CRISPY KOREAN PORK BELLY BOWL WITH HOUSE-MADE BANCHAN PICKLES"

Steps:

• For the pork belly: Combine gochujang, honey, soy sauce, sesame oil, sesame seeds, garlic and ginger in a small saucepan and bring to a simmer. Cook on medium-low heat for 10 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool. For best results let the marinade rest for 48 hours to allow flavors to marry.
• Reserve 1 cup marinade to thicken and use as glaze when finishing dish.
• Place pork belly in a hotel pan. Pour marinade over pork belly, making sure all surfaces are covered. Cover in foil and let marinade 24 to 48 hours, refrigerated.
• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
• Roast pork for 4 hours. Remove from marinade and let pork cool overnight in refrigerator.
• Slice pork into 2-by-8-inch blocks, then slice into 1/4-inch slabs.
• For the kimchi: Quarter the cabbage, then slice into 2-inch sections. Place cabbage in a container and cover with cold water. Add salt. Cover and let sit 12 hours to allow cabbage to brine.
• Drain well. Combine cabbage with kimchi marinade, scallions, carrots, garlic, ginger, gochugaru and fish sauce in a large mixing bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and let sit at room temperature for 24 hours. Bottle and refrigerate.
• For the Korean pickled onion: Place onions and jalapeno in a mason jar or container with lid.
• Combine soy sauce, sugar, lemon juice, vinegar and 1/2 cup water in a saucepot and bring to a simmer. Pour hot liquid over onions, then let cool. Refrigerate 48 hours before serving.
• For wakame seaweed and cucumber quick pickle: Place wakame seaweed in a bowl and cover with cold water to hydrate.
• Quarter cucumbers, then slice into 1/2-inch pieces. Place cucumbers in a colander and sprinkle liberally with 1 tablespoon salt and 1 tablespoon sugar. Let cucumber rest, draining in sink to allow water to be drawn out, 1 hour.
• Simmer vinegar with remaining cup sugar and tablespoon salt in a saucepan.
• Let cool. Squeeze moisture from wakame, then combine with cucumber. Cover with marinade and refrigerate overnight before using.
• For the Korean mung bean sprout salad: Bring 4 cups water and the salt to a boil in a saucepan.
• Place bean sprouts in a colander in sink. Pour boiling salted water over bean sprouts, then rinse with cold water to stop cooking. Let drain well.
• Combine bean sprouts with sesame oil, dashi, sesame seeds, pepper and scallions in a mixing bowl and let flavors marry 30 minutes or longer, refrigerated.
• For the steamed white rice: Wash rice under cold running water until water runs clear. Add rice to a Japanese rice steamer and add 3 cups cool water. Cook until done, then let rest 10 to 15 minutes.
• For the Seoul bowl: Heat a cast-iron skillet. Cook pork belly until crispy.
• Stir the cornstarch into 2 tablespoons water in a small bowl, then stir into the reserved pork belly marinade in a small saucepan. Simmer 1 minute.
• Mound 1/2 to 3/4 cup rice in an individual serving bowl. Arrange the four Korean pickles on rice. Fan 3 to 4 slices cooked pork belly on pickles/rice. Drizzle with thickened sauce.
• Garnish with thinly sliced scallions. Repeat with remaining ingredients.

CRISPY PORK BELLY

Steps:

• For the pork belly: Line a baking sheet with foil and fit with a wire rack.
• Mix together the olive oil, thyme, mustard powder, coriander, red pepper flakes, garlic, 2 teaspoons salt and a generous amount of pepper in a small bowl until combined. Mix the baking powder with 2 teaspoons salt in a separate small bowl.
• Pat the skin of the pork belly completely dry. Use a sharp skewer, fork or paring knife to poke lots of holes all over the skin, making sure not to hit the meat. This will help the skin crisp up. Flip the pork over and rub the spice mixture all over the meat (not the skin). Transfer to the prepared baking sheet skin-side up. Sprinkle half of the baking powder mixture over the skin. Refrigerate, uncovered, for at least 1 hour and up to 6 hours.
• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
• Wipe off the baking powder mixture from the pork with a paper towel. Pat the skin completely dry and sprinkle with the remaining baking powder mixture.
• Bake until the pork is cooked through and tender, about 2 hours. Raise the temperature to 500 degrees F and continue cooking until the skin is golden brown, bubbling and crispy, about 20 minutes more. Let rest for 10 minutes.
• For the sauce: Meanwhile, whisk together the cilantro, olive oil, honey, scallions, garlic, lemon juice, 1/2 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of pepper in a medium bowl.
• Slice the pork belly into 1/2-inch-thick slices and transfer to a serving platter. Spoon the sauce down the middle before serving.

POKE BOWL

Steps:

• Put the rice in a small bowl. Cover with cold water and massage with your hands to remove the starch. Drain and put the rice in a small saucepan with a tight-fitting lid. Cover with a fingertip depth of cold water and simmer over a medium heat with the lid on for 10 mins. Remove from the heat and leave to steam with the lid on for another 15 mins, then stir through the rice wine vinegar.
• Meanwhile, mix the mayonnaise with the shichimi togarashi in a small bowl and set aside. Put the tuna on a chopping board, cut into roughly 1cm cubes, then sprinkle liberally with flaky sea salt.
• In a large bowl, mix the sesame oil, soy sauce, lime juice and chilli flakes. Add the tuna chunks and stir well, so that every piece is coated in the dressing.
• To assemble, put a mound of rice in two bowls. Top each with half an avocado, the tuna and dressing, cherry tomatoes and nori. Sprinkle over the chopped nuts and spring onions, and finish with a spoonful of the spicy mayo.