Odolppyeo-bokkeum (Spicy Pork Cartilage)

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Large bowl for soaking
• •Medium pot for blanching
• •Wide heavy skillet or wok, 12 inches
• •Fine strainer or colander

Instructions

1. 1

   Soak the pork

   Put the pork cartilage in a bowl with 6 cups cold water and soak 30 minutes, changing the water once after 15 minutes. This pulls out blood and loose bone dust, which is what gives odolppyeo-bokkeum a muddy smell when people rush it. Drain well.

2. 2

   Blanch it clean

   Bring 4 cups water to a boil with the soju, ginger slices, and peppercorns. Add the drained cartilage and boil 5 minutes. Drain, rinse under warm water, and rub away any grey foam clinging to the pieces. Do not skip this. Chili paste is not soap.

   If your butcher cut the cartilage in large pieces, cut it smaller after blanching, when it is firmer and easier to handle. Aim for pieces about 1/2 inch wide so they cook evenly.
3. 3

   Mix the sauce

   Stir together the gochugaru, gochujang, soy sauce, maesil-cheong or rice syrup, sugar, rice wine, garlic, grated ginger, and black pepper. Let it sit 10 minutes while you cut the vegetables. The gochugaru blooms and softens in the wet seasonings, so the finished sauce tastes round instead of dusty.

4. 4

   Start the pan

   Heat a wide skillet or wok over medium-high heat and add the neutral oil. Add the blanched cartilage and stir-fry 3 to 4 minutes, until the edges look dry and lightly browned in spots. You are driving off surface moisture first, because sauce added to a wet pan turns thin and sulky.

5. 5

   Season and simmer

   Lower the heat to medium. Add the sauce and stir until every piece is coated, then pour in 1/3 cup water or anchovy-kelp broth. Cover and cook 15 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes. The liquid gives the cartilage time to soften without scorching the chili. You want chew, not a jaw exercise.

6. 6

   Add the vegetables

   Uncover the pan and add the onion and carrot. Stir-fry 5 to 7 minutes, until the onion softens and the sauce reduces to a glossy coating. If the pan dries before the cartilage is pleasantly chewy, add 2 tablespoons water and keep going. If the sauce puddles, keep stirring uncovered until it clings.

7. 7

   Finish the heat

   Add the scallions, green chili, red chili if using, and perilla leaves if using. Stir 1 minute, just until the leaves darken and the scallions bend. Turn off the heat and fold in the sesame oil. Taste one piece. It should be spicy, savory, a little sweet, and still clearly pork, not just red sauce.

8. 8

   Serve at once

   Pile onto a shallow plate and scatter with toasted sesame seeds. Serve with rice, lettuce leaves for wrapping, or just toothpicks and cold drinks at a late table. Left too long, the sauce tightens and the cartilage firms, so bring it to the table while it is glossy.

Chef Tips

• •Ask a Korean butcher for odolppyeo or pork soft bone with meat attached. You want cartilage with small bits of pork around it, not bare hard bone. The dish needs chew, not splinters.
• •Do not make this with only gochujang. Gochujang gives body, but too much turns the pan sweet and heavy. Gochugaru carries cleaner heat, which is why the measure here is two tablespoons flakes to one tablespoon paste.
• •Perilla leaves are not decoration. Their sharp green smell cuts the pork and chili. If you cannot find them, leave them out and add one extra scallion; do not replace them with basil.
• •A pressure cooker is a safe modern shortcut for tough cartilage: after blanching, cook the cartilage with 1/2 cup water under pressure for 8 minutes, quick release, then stir-fry with the sauce. The corner you may cut is time. The cleaning and sauce balance stay.

Advance Preparation

• •The cartilage can be soaked, blanched, rinsed, and refrigerated up to 1 day ahead. Keep it covered and cold, then stir-fry from chilled with 2 extra minutes before adding the sauce.
• •The sauce can be mixed up to 3 days ahead and refrigerated. Stir before using, because the gochugaru will thicken it as it rests.
• •Leftovers keep 2 days refrigerated. Reheat in a skillet with 2 to 3 tablespoons water until the sauce loosens and clings again.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 220g)