Dwaeji Bulgogi (Spicy Pork Bulgogi)

Recipe from Jean Kim

Adapted by Eric Kim

Updated Dec. 19, 2023

Dwaeji Bulgogi (Spicy Pork Bulgogi)
Armando Rafael for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Monica Pierini.
Total Time
35 minutes
Prep Time
15 minutes
Cook Time
20 minutes
Rating
4(175)
Comments
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In this chile-fragrant variation of the Korean grilled beef dish bulgogi, a quick but impactful marinade tenderizes thin slices of pork. Sweet and spicy dwaeji bulgogi, known to some as jeyuk bokkeum, can be both a weeknight staple for the family and a crowd pleaser for a gathering, not least because you can marinate the meat in advance and cook it whenever you’re ready to eat. Wrapping the juicy red pork in grassy, aromatic perilla leaves (a mint-family herb that you can find in Korean grocery stores) is a beautiful eating experience, but lettuces such as red leaf, romaine and butter lettuce work as well. A side of white rice helps sop up the saucy, flavorful pork. —Eric Kim

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Ingredients

Yield:6 to 8 servings
  • ½Asian pear, peeled and cored
  • 1small yellow onion, peeled
  • 10garlic cloves, peeled
  • 1(2-inch) piece ginger, peeled
  • ¼cup gochugaru (see Tip)
  • ¼cup toasted sesame oil
  • ¼cup gochujang
  • ¼cup maesil cheong (green plum syrup; see Tip)
  • ¼cup soy sauce
  • 2tablespoons granulated sugar
  • 2tablespoons Sriracha
  • 3pounds thinly sliced pork butt or shoulder (see Tip)
  • Neutral oil, such as canola, for cooking
  • Salt
  • Perilla leaves or any mix of red leaf, romaine and butter lettuces, for serving
Ingredient Substitution Guide
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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    In a food processor or blender, purée the pear, onion, garlic, ginger, gochugaru, sesame oil, gochujang, maesil cheong, soy sauce, sugar and Sriracha until smooth. Add to a large bowl, along with the sliced pork, and mix well to coat. Cover and refrigerate overnight or up to 24 hours. (After that, the meat will tenderize too much.)

  2. Step 2

    Heat a large skillet or griddle over medium-high, and add enough oil to generously coat the bottom. Working in batches, lay the pork in a single layer and cook, stirring once or twice, until firm but juicy and no longer opaque, about 5 minutes. Season to taste with salt.

  3. Step 3

    Serve immediately with perilla leaves or lettuce leaves to wrap the pork for the juiciest, most aromatic bundles.

Tips
  • Gochugaru, a flavorful Korean red-pepper powder, ranges from a fine dust to tiny coarse flakes. Try to buy the coarse variety, both for deeper, sweeter flavor and for color, a gleaming crimson. You can find gochugaru at Korean and other Asian supermarkets and at many grocery stores, as well as online.
  • You can find maesil cheong, or green plum syrup (also labeled an extract), online or in Korean supermarkets. Add a splash to a mug of hot water and drink it as tea, or mix it into salad dressings, marinades and stews as an aromatic sweetener with a touch of fruity tartness. It’s worth seeking out, but if you can’t find it, use a splash of apple juice or an extra pinch of sugar instead.
  • You can find perfectly sliced pork, for shabu shabu and bulgogi dishes such as this, in the meat section of Korean or other Asian grocery stores. Otherwise, freeze a block of pork until firm enough to cut clean, ⅛-inch-thick slices with a very sharp knife.

Ratings

4 out of 5
175 user ratings
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Comments

lucidwisdom

Any meat, chicken, beef, bison, can be used for this recipe. I usually serve it with julienned veges such as cucumber (to cool the spiciness), carrots/ radish (for crunchiness) and red/yellow bell pepper (for colors). Guests and pick and choose which veges (or “go-myong” in Korean) to include in each bite (“ssam” -wrapped). For people who are not good with chopsticks, provide mini tongs.

YoonShin Kim

If you have little ones or serving those who aren't comfortable with spicy food, cut the gochujang in half and substitute with oyster sauce. You may want to play with the ratio between the two to strike a balance to the palate.

Spudoo

Yes, but it would taste like it was made with chicken.

Nikki

This was an excellent recipe. Perhaps it was the gochujang I used (from the Asian Market near me, not from the big box grocer), but this was extremely spicy. The adults loved it, but some of the kids found it too spicy for more than a bite, and I had omitted the Sriracha for their sake, leaving it on the side. So I would probably cut back the gochujang a bit for the next round. But this is a keeper!!!

Nicole

Very tasty and VERY spicy. Made the mistake of cooking this for my 5 and 7 year old...the flavor was great but after a couple of bites they "couldn't handle it" (the spice) anymore. Will omit the sriracha next time and maybe even cut the gochugaru in half. Great flavors, though!

Patrick

It was really good; very flavorful. But I think step 2 needs some amending. I kept the pan on medium low and significantly burned it. It ended up being a big mess. It would be nice if there were some guidance on preventing a burned pan.

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Credits

Adapted from Jean Kim

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