← Nouns Cooking · Korean

Ingredients

• 500 g pork loin or tenderloin
• 1 tbsp mirin or rice wine
• ½ tsp Ginger, grated
• salt and pepper
• 150 g potato starch (or cornflour)
• 200 ml Water
• 1 egg white
• 1 tbsp Vegetable oil
• 1 l oil, for deep-frying
• 250 ml Water
• 5 tbsp Sugar
• 4 tbsp white or rice vinegar
• 1½ tbsp Soy sauce
• ½ Carrot, thinly sliced
• ½ Onion, cut into chunks
• ½ Cucumber, seeded and sliced
• 5 g dried wood ear mushrooms, soaked (optional)
• 2 tbsp potato starch, mixed with 4 tbsp water

Method

1. Cut the pork into finger-thick strips and mix with the mirin, ginger and a little salt and pepper.
2. Stir the 150 g starch into the 200 ml water and leave it for 30 min, until the starch has sunk into a thick layer. Pour off the clear water on top, then mix the wet starch with the egg white and 1 tbsp oil into a thick, heavy batter.
3. Heat the frying oil in a deep pan to 170°C (340°F). Toss the pork in the batter, then fry in batches, dropping the pieces in one at a time, for 4–5 min until pale golden. Drain on a rack.
4. Heat the oil to 180°C (350°F) and fry everything again for 1–2 min, until deep golden and very crisp. Drain.
5. For the sauce, bring the water, sugar, vinegar and soy sauce to the boil in a small pan. Add the vegetables and boil for 2 min.
6. Stir the starch mixture again and pour it in, stirring, until the sauce turns thick and glossy, about 30 seconds. Pour it over the pork, or serve it on the side for dipping, and eat right away.

Tips

• Koreans argue over pouring (bu-meok) or dipping (jjik-meok): dipping keeps the crunch longest.
• The double fry is the secret. Keep the batter thick enough that it clings; sprinkle in more starch if it runs off.

Sources

Written in our own words after cross-checking these recipes:

Korean Bapsang FutureDish Beyond Kimchee