Jeyuk-gui (Gochujang Grilled Pork)

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Charcoal grill, gas grill, grill pan, or wide cast-iron skillet
• •Tongs
• •Box grater for onion
• •Instant-read thermometer, optional but useful

Instructions

1. 1

   Slice the pork

   Slice the pork 1/4 inch thick against the grain, then cut any wide pieces into lengths that will fit neatly in a lettuce wrap. Do not shave it paper-thin for this dish. Jeyuk-gui needs enough thickness to stay juicy while the marinade cooks into a crust.

2. 2

   Mix the marinade

   In a large bowl, stir together the grated onion, gochujang, gochugaru, soy sauce, maesil-cheong or honey, mirin, sesame oil, garlic, ginger, sugar, and black pepper. The marinade should be thick enough to coat a spoon, not loose like soup. That thickness matters because gui wants a coating that clings to the pork over high heat.

3. 3

   Coat and rest

   Add the pork and turn it by hand until every slice is coated. Let it stand 30 minutes at room temperature, or refrigerate up to 4 hours. Longer is not better here; the salt and fermented paste can make thin pork taste cured instead of fresh.

   If refrigerating, bring the pork out 20 minutes before cooking. Cold meat drops the pan temperature and makes the marinade run before it browns.
4. 4

   Prepare the heat

   Heat a charcoal grill, gas grill, grill pan, or wide cast-iron skillet over high heat. Oil the grate or pan lightly. You need real heat before the pork goes down, because gochujang contains sugar and soybean paste; on a weak surface it sticks and scorches before the meat cooks.

5. 5

   Shake off excess

   Lift each piece from the bowl and let the excess marinade fall back before it touches the heat. Do not scrape the meat bare, just remove the heavy wet layer. A thin coating makes a red crust; a thick coating makes burnt paste.

6. 6

   Grill in batches

   Lay the pork in a single layer with space between pieces. Cook 2 to 3 minutes on the first side, until the edges darken and the underside releases, then turn and cook 2 minutes more. Move any pieces that color too fast to a cooler part of the grill or lower the heat slightly. The pork should be cooked through with no raw center.

7. 7

   Rest and finish

   Transfer the pork to a platter and let it rest 3 minutes while you cook the remaining batches. Scatter with scallions and toasted sesame seeds. Serve at once with lettuce, perilla leaves, rice, and ssamjang, so each person can wrap a piece with rice and a small dab of sauce.

Chef Tips

• •Pork shoulder, neck, or collar is best. It has enough fat to survive high heat but not so much that the wrap tastes greasy. If you use pork belly, cut the sesame oil in the marinade to 1 teaspoon.
• •Do not add more gochujang just because you want it redder. Use the measured gochugaru for color and heat, and let the gochujang give body. Too much paste makes the dish salty and sticky.
• •A grill is good, but a cast-iron skillet is honest work for a weeknight. Cook in batches and wipe out burnt spots between batches with a folded paper towel held in tongs.
• •Safe corners to cut: buy pre-sliced pork, use a grill pan, mix the marinade in the morning. Do not shorten the resting time to nothing, and do not crowd the pan. Those are the steps that make this gui instead of a wet stir-fry.

Advance Preparation

• •The marinade can be mixed up to 2 days ahead and refrigerated. Add the pork only the day you cook, because thin slices take on salt quickly.
• •The pork can marinate up to 4 hours ahead. Keep it refrigerated, then bring it out 20 minutes before grilling so it cooks evenly.
• •Cooked jeyuk-gui keeps 3 days in the refrigerator. Reheat quickly in a hot skillet, not in a covered pot, so the edges stay dry.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 360g)