This dish, often served as an accompaniment to soju or beer in the evenings in Korea, is simply addictive. The fattiness of the pork belly is balanced by the acidity and spiciness of the kimchi (and gochugaru), which are themselves mellowed by the tofu... Or perhaps it's the other way around... Anyway, you get the idea, it's incredibly delicious. Thanks to Da-Hae West, whose recipe I found in her fabulous book K-food.
Time:
Less than 20 minutes.
- 5 minutes preparation
- 10 minutes cooking
Quantity:
Appetizer for 4 people
Ingredients:
- 300 grams plain pork belly, thinly sliced and cut into pieces
- 200 grams kimchi (homemade or canned)
- 1 tablespoon gochugaru
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon sesame seeds
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 300 grams firm tofu
Preparation:
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Pour one tablespoon of vegetable oil into a frying pan, and sauté the sliced pork belly over medium-high heat. Stir for about 3 minutes, until the pork belly is nicely browned.
Add the kimchi, gochugaru, and brown sugar to the pan. Stir for about 3 minutes.
Place the block of tofu in the boiling water in the pot and let it cook for 3 minutes.
Pour the sesame oil and sesame seeds into the pan with the pork and kimchi, then turn off the heat immediately.
Remove the tofu from the boiling water with a spatula and let it drain on paper towels. Cut it into small squares, about 5 cm wide and 1 cm deep.
Place the tofu squares in a dish and pour the pork belly and kimchi mixture over them.
Enjoy!
Pierre
