Spicy Stir-Fried Pork With Korean Crispy Seaweed

With some leftovers of pork neck cuttings, I decided to make this korean stir fried pork for dinner.  It is so easy to prepare and yet it tastes so good especially sprinkles with lots of crispy seaweed over the spicy meat. The cooked meat doesn't look red as I reduce the gochujang paste but added more of the korean hot pepper flakes. The pork neck cut is tender and juicy.  I always ask for this part of the piggy cut when I visit my regular butcher :) She always recommends me the best part of the piggy :p 

This dish is simple to prepare , all I need to do is to marinate the meat with some korean paste and hot pepper flakes, chopped garlic, sesame oil and soy sauce for an hour or at least 30 mins. Stir fry in hot oil till cooked , before dishing up ,sprinkle toasted sesame seeds and korean  crispy seaweed as garnishings.  I prefer the meat to be drier as I wanted to eat the meat wrapped in roasted seaweed squares. If the the meat is coated with gravy, it will soften the seaweed before it can go into the mouth. 

the longer you marinate the meat, the better the taste

Spicy Stir-Fried Pork With Korean Crispy Seaweed

ingredients:

300 g pork neck or tender loin - cut into bite size pieces

Marinade A
1 to 2 tbsp of gochujang paste - I used only 1.5 tbsp
2 tsp of sugar
1 tbsp of soy sauce
1 tbsp of hot pepper flakes (gochu-garu) - if you like it more spicy you can add more
a dash of ground black pepper
2 tsp of sesame oil
5 garlic cloves - minced
1 tsp ginger, minced

1.5 tbsp vegetable oil
1 tbsp of chopped spring onions
* a few tbsp of water if you want the dish to have a bit of gravy

garnishing
korean crispy seaweed
toasted sesame seeds

Korean roasted seaweed sheets (Kimnori -Original Flavor) as wraps

Method:

1.Marinate the meat pieces with Marinade A for an hour or at least 30 mins.

2. Heat up oil in wok, once oil is hot, add in the marinated meat pieces and stir fried till the meat is cooked.  You can add a few tbsp of water if you want the dish to have a bit of gravy.  Once the dish is ready to dish up, add in chopped spring onion and toasted sesame seeds . Give it a quick stir and dish up.

3. You can serve as a side dish or as a main dish.

Note:  I  wrap the meat pieces with the kimnori seaweed squares.   Crispy and delicious !

Korean Cubed Radish Kimchi 깍둑설기 ( Kkakdugi )

Recently, I was recommended to try out the imported radish from Korea by my daughter and she told me that it is sweet and crunchy when eaten raw and that after which I will not want to eat the local ones :) seriously , it is true.  After having eaten it raw, I realised what I have been missing all this while . No wonder the korean loves their radish so much.  Upon her recommendation, I bought one big one from the K mart which sells all korean ingredients and utensils. 

Came home, could not wait to make them into cubed radish or 깍둑설기 ( kkakdugi ) in the korean language.  Making korean side dishes has become a simple task for me, for I have been making them since the day I was introduced to banchan :)  Since the radish is sweet, making banchan would be ideal.

cut them into cubes and seasoned with salt and sugar

after which add in the chilli flakes and mix evenly

add in the radish kimchi base

I prefer to give it character by not blending the ingredients

but chopped them fine

best to ferment them in glass jar

leave it a day in room temp before

storing them in the fridge

Korean Cubed Radish  깍둑설기 ( Kkakdugi ) - adapted from My Korean Kitchen

Ingredients:

1.1 kg Korean radish – rinsed and skin peeled (2.5 pounds), or other variety of white daikon radish 

3 stalks (50 g / 1.8 ounces) green onion – rinsed  

2 Tbsp raw sugar 

2 Tbsp rock salt or Korean coarse salt

 

Radish Kimchi base

1/2 small brown onion (70 g / 2.5 ounces), skin peeled, cut into small pieces to blend 

1/2 small red apple (50 g / 1.8 ounces), seed and core removed, cut into small pieces to blend  

3 Tbsp Korean fish sauce , I used anchovy sauce 

1 Tbsp Minced garlic  

1/2 Tbsp Minced ginger 

4 Tbsp Korean coarse chili flakes (gochugaru)  

1/4 cup water 

1Tbsp rice flour

 

Instructions

1. Cut the radish into medium sized cubes. (It could be smaller or bigger if that’s what you prefer. Just be mindful that the radish will shrink as they go through the fermentation process.) Put the cubed radish into a large mixing bowl and add the sugar and the salt and mix them well. Leave it for 1 hour at room temperature.
2. While waiting, chop the green onion into small pieces and make the Kimchi base. Blend the onion and apple with the fish sauce in a blender. (It can take a few minutes as the liquid isn’t as much as the solids.) Make the rice porridge by mixing the water and the rice flour in a bowl and heating them up for 1 min in a microwave. (It could be shorter or longer depending on the output power of your microwave). It should give you a mildly runny porridge texture. Mix all the Kimchi base ingredients (*except for 2 Tbsp of Korean chili flakes) in a medium sized bowl.
   
   
3. After one hour, rinse the radish in cold running water a couple of times and drain any excess water for 5 mins.
4. Put the radish into a clean mixing bowl and add 2 Tbsp of Korean chili flakes.  Mix the chili flakes with the radish evenly. (By adding this chili flakes separately and earlier than rest of the Kimchi base, you are giving a nice vibrant colour to the radish). Add the chopped green onion and the Kimchi base and mix them evenly and thoroughly.
   
   
5. Move the seasoned radish into an air tight glass container (1.5L glass jar for the above-listed quantity) and leave it at room temperature for between 6 to 24 hours depending on the temperature  After that keep it in the fridge.

Tofu And Fish Kimchi Jjigae

I love Korean food and needless to say, I will cook Korean very often.  On my recent trip to KL, my daughter took me to K mart, a korean shop selling korean ingredients and cookware. My daughter knows I love Korean products and introduced me to this earthenware bowl.  Love this black earthenware bowl so much that I can't wait to use it . I cooked kimchi jjigae (kimchi stew) with it. On a healthier note, I just add tofu and fish to the kimchi jjigae and I can have just this one dish for dinner.  You can make pork belly kimchi jjigae if you like . I think my next kimchi jjigae will be pork belly...slurp!

The reason why I make a big load of kimchi is for making kimchi jjigae besides serving kimchi as a side dish.  Kimchi jjigae is a very versatile dish. You can add any other ingredients you want but the important ingredient is the kimchi and the base sauce . Without the kimchi, it will be not otherwise be called kimchi jjigae. A very healthy dish no doubt and hubby (Wild Boar ) and I love kimchi jjigae !  It is a blessing that my Wild Boar loves kimchi :)

 

my new black eartherware from the K mart and the kimchi I made

some time back ...kimchi can keep for 3 months in fridge

this dish is easy to make, add kimchi and base sauce, chicken broth 

 into the black earthenware and boil over medium heat

once the kimchi stew has been simmered

 for a while and is aromatic , add in the fiish fillets

and give it a quick boil

dish up and garnish with spring onions ( mine are homegrown )

Tofu And Fish Kimchi Jjigae

ingredients:

 3/4 cup aged kimchi
1 japanese cucumber or zucchini - cut into 1/4 inch thick slices
1 firm tofu - cut into cube size
2 pieces of fish fillets
2 cups chicken broth
 spring onions - for garnishing

jjigae base sauce
1 Tbsp Korean chili flakes (gochugaru)
1 Tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp Korean chili paste (gochujang)
1/4 tsp minced garlic
3 sprinkles ground black pepper

 Method:

Add the aged kimchi, tofu, cucumber/zucchini, jjigae base sauce , chicken broth to an earthenware  bowl and boil it under medium heat till aromatic.

Add in the fish fillets last and give it a quick boil. Once it is ready for serving , garnish with the spring onions and serve it hot with rice.

 Enjoy !

Korean Fried Chicken -yangnyeom-tongdak

After having tasted "Four Fingers" (crispy and crunchy Korean fried chicken ) in Singapore,I knew I had to try making my own 'four fingers '!  yea I am greedy Oink :p  I googled for Korean fried chicken and I found one that is quite near to the one I tasted in Singapore.  I tweeted the recipe a bit to get the taste as near to the original Four Fingers...believe me, it is quite near to it :) ok ok ...I don't want to exaggerate the taste but it was FABULOUS ! 

The chicken wings were well marinated and the 3 types of flour used and the double frying made the wings really crispy and crunchy and needless to say the special sauce to coat the fried chicken is truly awesome.  A mixture of gochujang paste , ketchup , apple cider vinegar and a dash of gochugaru make up the awesome sweet spicy sauce coating for the crunchy chicken.  The fried chicken wings remains crisp and crunchy  We ate using four fingers until the last piece wamoosh from the plate..WB and I fighting for the last piece..you guess who won ?

 

the sesame seeds added flavor to the already flavor packed fried chicken

marinate the wings with ginger juice, ground black pepper and salt,

best to marinate it over night

add baking soda,  rice flour, potato flour and multi purpose flour, 1 egg to

the marinated wings until the thick batter coats the wings evenly

double frying will make the wings crisp and crunchy

ingredients for the sweet and spicy sauce

sauce comprises of thai chilli sauce, gochujang paste, ketchup,

apple cider vinegar, gochugaru and chopped garlic

throw in some toasted white sesame seeds...

it tasted fabulous!

Thanks YC ( my son's mom-in-law) for these fine ceramic dishes for sides

love the different shapes and sizes

just nice for my kimchi and other korean side dishes

I love them all :)

Korean Fried Chicken- yangnyeom-tongdak  - adapted from Maangchi 

ingredients:

7 chicken wings - cut off tips, use only the flat wings and drummets 

salt,

ground pepper

ginger juice from 1" inch ginger

ingredients for batter :

1 tsp of baking soda

1/4 cup rice flour

1/4 cup multi purpose flour

1/2 cup potato flour

1 egg

6 - 7 cups of canola oil or  vegetable oil for deep frying

sauce for coating the fried chicken :

1 tbsp of canola oil

4 cloves chopped garlic

1/3 cup tomato ketchup

1/4 cup sweet thai chilli sauce

1/4 cup gochujang paste

1 tbsp of apple cider vinegar

3 tbsp of toasted white sesame seeds

Method:

Marinate the flat wings and drummets with salt, ginger juice, ground black pepper for 3 hours or over night in fridge.

Add all the 3 types of flour and baking soda onto the marinated chicken. Add in 1 egg and mix well with the hand until the wings and drummets are completely coated.

Double frying method:

Heat 6-7 cups of canola oil in a wok or deep pan.  When the oil is heated , slowly add in the coated drummets and wings and deep fry them for 7 mins.  Take them out of the oil and shake them off in a strainer. Let them sit for a few mins.  Fry them again for another 10 minutes until all pieces look golden brown and are crunchy outside.

When you are frying, you can prepare the sauce :

Put 1 tbsp of canola oil and minced garlic into a heated non stick pan, add in 1/3 cup tomato ketchup, 1/4 cup gochujang paste , 1/4 cup sweet thai chilli paste and 1 tbsp of apple cider vinegar and simmer the mixture for 7 mins under low heat.  Off heat.  When the wings and drummets are done..quickly coat them with the sauce while still hot or the sauce will not stick to the drummets. Throw in the toasted sesame seeds.

Serve as a snack/finger food or a stand alone dish.

Enjoy!