I’ve interrupted my regularly scheduled blog (Boot Camp, Part 2) to talk about something equally as awesome: the Touch of Seoul cooking class I recently took. What would have otherwise been a mundane Wednesday night turned into a temporary transportation to a far-away land filled with giggles and an impromptu girls’ night.
After realizing there were vacant spots in class, it didn’t take much convincing of my friends and colleagues to sign up since we had been salivating over the menu for a few weeks already. We were particularly intrigued by the Bulgogi Eggrolls with Spicy Mayo Dipping Sauce and extra excited for the Korean Pork Belly Tacos with Kimchi. Neither of these dishes disappointed.
Having never attempted to make eggrolls on my own, I was pleasantly surprised at how easy they were and will certainly recreate these at home someday (perhaps if I ever get a date… as it would make for the perfect, interactive “let’s be cute and make this together” activity – hopefully sooner rather than later). The ingredients were exotic yet approachable and rolling the eggrolls themselves made me feel quite authentic. Our Curriculum Coordinator Chef Sara Salzinski recently dedicated a whole blog to this recipe that she came up with.
Perhaps even more useful is my new found discovery of just how easy homemade kimchi is to make. This traditional Korean side dish of pickled cabbage (and is some cases, other vegetables) provides a spicy-sweet blast of flavor that it’s no wonder why the item has been showing up on menus everywhere lately. Not only is it all the rage in trendy restaurants these days (think as toppings on burgers, bases for Ramens, even lasagna layered with it), it’s also got some pretty valuable health benefits; because of the fermentation process, it produces a healthy bacteria called Lactobacillus that aids with digestion, among other things. The fact that I can now make this at home quite easily, and that it only gets better the more days it’s been marinating, makes this my new go-to “impressive-but-not-really-that hard to make” dish of the moment. I’m loving it.
All this and I haven’t even gotten to the pork belly! Take it from a girl who orders pork belly whenever possible, this was one of the most delicious recipes I’ve ever come across. Once you have the ingredients on hand (Chef Ron Martin suggested that a specialty Asian grocery store may be the easiest place to stock up on items like the soy bean paste and Korean chili paste that it calls for), it’s super easy. You pretty much just mix the marinade, slather it on the meat and roast in the oven.
It produces a sweet yet somehow savory, extremely tender piece of pork belly that while certainly enjoyable in tacos, could be used in various ways (including just by the forkful directly into your mouth!). Every component of these tacos were a delight on their own and together, I can’t even explain how well they all came together in a cohesive dish – making me hungry all over again!
Needless to say the Honey-Sriracha Chicken Wings with Sesame Rice and Sweet and Spicy Cucumber-Kohlrabi Salad were really good as well.
I’ve included the pork belly recipe below for you to enjoy at home, but I highly suggest taking the class if you can – a fun time will be had by all, guaranteed! We’re offering it again twice next month at our Merchandise Mart location.
Korean Pork Belly Tacos with Kimchee
Yield: 12 tacos
Active time: 35 minutes
Start to finish: 3 hours
2 to 2 1/2 pound piece pork belly, skin on and boneless
Water to cover
5 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed
4 scallions, cut into 1-inch pieces
1-inch piece ginger, cut into 1/4-inch slices
2 tablespoons Korean soy bean paste (doenjang)
2 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon ginger, freshly grated
1 teaspoon Korean chili paste (gochujang)
1 dozen corn tortillas, warmed
Quick Kimchee (separate recipe)
1/2 red pepper, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons fresh cilantro or mint, rough chopped
1 lime, cut into wedges
1. Place the pork belly in a heavy pot with the garlic, scallions and ginger, and add enough water to cover by 1 inch. Bring the water to a boil, and then reduce the heat to a simmer. Cover the pot, and keep at a simmer until the pork is tender, about 2 hours.
2. Transfer the pork belly to a parchment-lined sheet tray, and allow it to cool.
3. Preheat the oven to 375°.
4. While the pork is cooling, mix together the rub. In a small bowl, mix together the soy bean paste, honey, ginger and chili paste.
5. Carefully cut off the pork belly skin and discard.
6. Generously coat the skin side of the pork belly with the rub. Roast in the oven until the rub is caramelized, about 30 minutes.
7. Remove from the oven, and allow the pork to rest for about 15 minutes.
8. Transfer the pork to a cutting board, and cut it into 1/2-inch dice.
9. To assemble the tacos, nestle the pork in the tortillas. Top with kimchee, red peppers, cilantro or mint and lime juice.
