Gochujang Pulled Pork Sandwich

Unlock the irresistible flavours of Korean cooking with jangs, the authentic sauces that are the essential building blocks of all Korean cuisine. Written by South Korea’s award-winning top chef, Mingoo Kang, Jang demystifies jangs while showing how they can be used to make both Korean and Western dishes more delicious.

* Named a Best New Cookbook of Spring 2024 by Eater and Epicurious *

Like butter in French cooking or olive oil in Italian, jangs are the soul of Korean cuisine. These soy-based umami sauces—gochujang, doenjang, ganjang—are found in every meal, from soups and stews, to salads, marinades, and even desserts, adding depth and complexity to every dish.

Few chefs understand these ingredients better than Michelin star winner Mingoo Kang, who has dedicated his Seoul restaurant, Mingles, to the exploration of jangs. In his first cookbook, Kang expertly weaves jangs’ history and methods into 60 accessible recipes to bring the sauces to life. Through artisan profiles, sidebars, and step-by-step photographs, Jang uncovers one of the culinary world’s best-hidden secrets.

Jang: The Soul of Korean Cooking (More than 60 Recipes Featuring Gochujang, Doenjang, and Ganjang) by Mingoo Kang is available at Amazon.com, Amazon.co.uk and Indigo.ca.

고추장 폴트 포크 샌드위치

SERVES 4

FOR THE PORK

1½ teaspoons fennel seeds

1½ teaspoons coriander seeds

1½ teaspoons whole black peppercorns

1/3 cuр (100 g) ВВQ Gochujang

1 tablespoon pure maple syrup

1½ teaspoons Cajun seasoning

1½ teaspoons onion powder

1½ teaspoons garlic powder

1½ teaspoons gochugaru

18 ounces (500 g) boneless pork shoulder

1 medium onion (200 g), thinly sliced

1 teaspoon hot sauce

1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar

FOR THE AIOLI

6 tablespoons (30 g) mayonnaise

2 tablespoons gochujang

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1 garic clove, finely chopped

4 hamburger buns, toasted

1 cucumber, thinly sliced lengthwise on a mandoline

This sandwich combines the of the world’s most hallowed barbecue traditions: those of South Korea and the American South. Gochujang is pork’s greatest friend, and it blends harmoniously with the vinegar sauces of North Carolina barbecue. After a lot of experimentation, l landed on this combination of sweeteness and spice, both in the marinade and in the vinegary sauce that gets folded into the pork at the end.

MAKE THE PORK, Using a mortar and pestle or epice gister, finely grind the fennel, corander, and peppercorns. In a large bowl, mix together the ground spices, BBQ gochujang, maple syrup, Cajun seasoning, onion powder. garlic powder, and gochugaru. Rub the mixture evenly all over the pork shoulder, cover, and marinate in the refrigerator for at least 6 hours and up to overnight.

Spread the onion in a thin layer across the bottom of an electric pressure nice cooker. Place the marinated pork atop the onion and cook on the slow-cooking mode for 2 hours, until the meat is tender and breaks down easily with a fork. Let cool in the rice cooker, then transfer the meat to a ban and shred it.

Strain the sauce from the rice cooker into a small pot. Cook cover medium heat to reduce the liquid by half, about 5 minutes. Stir the reduced sauce, hot sauce, and vinegar into the shredded meat.

MAKE THE AIOLI, In a small bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, apchujang, lemon juice, and garlic until incorporated.

To serve, toast the hamburger buns in a toaster oven, then spread 2 tablespoons of the gochujanz aioli on the top and bottoes of each bun. Divide the pulled pork evenly amonz, the buns, add a few slicer of cucumber, and serve immediately.

TIP, If you don’t have a pressure rice cooker, use this cast iron pot method instead: After marinating the meat, out the pork into 1-inch (2 cm) cubes and place them in a large cast iron pot with a lid. Add the onion and 1% cups (300 ml) water and bring to a boil over medium beat. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and braise the pork for 2 hours, stirring every 15 minutes or so, until the meat is tender and breaks down easily with a fork. Remove the meat from the braising liquid and shred it, then return it to the pot and let it simmer slovly until the braising liquid has been absorbed. Mix the meat with the hot sauce and vinegar.