Tender Pork Bulgogi (Marinated Pork) in Gochujang Sauce
A one-dish meal of thick cuts of pork front leg scored with a knife, marinated in a spicy gochujang sauce, and pan-cooked.
Translated from Korean by AI and not yet checked by a native speaker. Amounts and numbers are taken directly from the original recipe. Read the Korean original →
This gochujang pork bulgogi uses thickly sliced pork scored with a crosshatch pattern so the marinade soaks in deeply. Marinated overnight in a sweet and spicy sauce blended with onion and red chili pepper, it is cooked in a pan until just glazed. Made with a lean cut, it tastes clean even when cold, making it great for lunchboxes or as a bar snack.
- Servings
- about 2–3 servings
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Spiciness
- Spicy
Ingredients
Ingredients
- Pork400 g
Seasoning
- Gochujang (Korean red chili paste)2 tbsp
- Gochugaru (Korean chili flakes)1 tbsp
- Soy sauce2 tbsp
- Mirin (cooking rice wine)1 tbsp
- Minced green onion1 tbsp
- Minced garlic1 tbsp
- Corn syrup (mulyeot)1 tbsp
- Ground onion and red chili pepper2 tbsp
- Ginger powder0.5 tsp
- Ground black pepper1 tsp
- Ground toasted sesame seeds
- I used pork front leg with almost no fat; using pork shoulder makes it chewier and even more delicious.
Steps
Slice the meat into generous, thick pieces, a bit thicker than what is normally used for bulgogi.
Make crisscross cuts on both the front and back with a knife. Because the meat is thick, scoring it like this
helps the seasoning soak in well and lets it cook thoroughly and deliciously all the way through.
Add 1/4 onion and 1 red chili pepper to a blender and grind them up. You will add this to the marinade sauce.
Mix the marinade ingredients together in the amounts listed above.
Coat both sides of the sliced pork with the marinade sauce and let it marinate.
This seasoned pork will mature in the refrigerator overnight.
I made it this evening to eat tomorrow evening.
It is not as tasty if you eat it right away, so it is good to let it mature.
Take the meat that has matured overnight, lightly grease a frying pan with just a little cooking oil, and cook on both sides.
Cook until nicely golden brown and almost all the liquid from the marinade has cooked off.
Pork bulgogi is finished. It is wonderful served alongside pickled garlic.
Ppunwife's tips
- Because the meat is thick, making crisscross cuts on both sides helps the seasoning soak in well and lets it cook thoroughly and deliciously to the center.
- It does not taste as good if eaten right away, so it is best to let it mature in the refrigerator overnight.
FAQ
Why do you make cuts in the meat?
Because the meat is sliced thicker than typical bulgogi cuts, scoring both sides helps it cook evenly through the center and lets the marinade penetrate deeply.
Can I use another cut instead of pork front leg?
Besides lean pork front leg, you can use pork shoulder to give the dish a chewier texture.
Can I cook and eat it right after seasoning?
Rather than cooking it right after coating it with marinade, letting it mature thoroughly in the refrigerator overnight brings out its true flavor.
