Chef Park Eun-young's Braised Pork Jowl, Fernbrake, and Aged Kimchi Hot Pot Rice (Hangjeongsal Gosari Muk Eunji Sotbap)
A hot pot rice dish by Chef Park Eun-young, featuring savory pork jowl, fragrant fernbrake, and crunchy aged kimchi.
📝 Editor's Notes
Chef Park Eun-young's Braised Pork Jowl, Fernbrake, and Aged Kimchi Hot Pot Rice is a special meal that offers a diverse symphony of flavors, where savory pork jowl, fragrant fernbrake, and crisp aged kimchi come together.
The inherent warm and hearty appeal of hot pot rice combined with the harmony of ingredients is truly superb.
In particular, the sourness of the aged kimchi cuts through any richness, making it irresistibly delicious.
While the cooking process may seem a bit complex, it's not as difficult as it appears since each ingredient is prepared separately and then assembled on top of the rice.
This dish, prepared with care, will be an excellent option for family meals or entertaining guests.
It's great to enjoy any season, but especially on chilly days, a warm bowl will leave you feeling nourished in body and soul.
🛒 Ingredient Tips
The key ingredients for this recipe are pork jowl (hangjeongsal), fernbrake (gosari), and aged kimchi (muk eunji).
First, pork jowl is prized for its excellent savory flavor due to the balanced mix of fat and lean meat; choose jowl that is bright pink with white, glossy fat layers.
If using frozen Iberico pork jowl, be sure to use the sugar water thawing tip to minimize moisture loss.
For fernbrake, using blanched fernbrake is convenient, but you can achieve a deeper aroma by rehydrating dried fernbrake yourself.
Look for plump fernbrake with stems that aren't too tough.
Finally, for aged kimchi, choose one that isn't overly sour, or rinse it thoroughly with water to adjust the sourness if it is.
The crisp texture of the aged kimchi adds to the charm of this hot pot rice, so prepare well-fermented kimchi.
🔄 Substitution Guide
If you want to use a different cut of pork instead of pork jowl (hangjeongsal), pork neck (moksal) or pork belly (samgyeopsal) are good alternatives.
Pork neck is leaner than pork jowl, which is good for those who prefer a lighter taste, while pork belly offers a similar savory richness to pork jowl.
However, you'll need to adjust cooking times based on the fat content.
If you'd like to use other vegetables instead of fernbrake (gosari), chwinamul or spinach also work well.
Chwinamul has a fragrant aroma similar to fernbrake that complements hot pot rice, and spinach can add a soft texture and sweetness.
If you don't have aged kimchi (muk eunji), you can rinse regular kimchi to reduce its sourness, or use stir-fried kimchi with a sweet and sour seasoning.
Each substitute will add a different charm to the hot pot rice.
🥘 Ingredients
👨🍳 Cooking Points
There are three key cooking points for making this delicious hot pot rice.
First, cooking the rice with rice water (ssal tteumul).
Rice water makes the rice more savory and flavorful; if you don't have it, you can use regular water with a piece of dried kelp.
It's crucial to precisely match the rice to water ratio at 1:1, bring it to a boil, then reduce to low heat and simmer until the bottom is visible, and finally, cover to steam.
Steaming for about 10 minutes is ideal.
Second, the process of stir-frying the fernbrake.
The key is to quickly stir-fry the fernbrake with perilla oil and garlic over high heat for 1 minute to bring out its aroma.
Be careful not to overcook, as it can become tough.
Third, the seasoning for braising the pork jowl.
Braise the seared pork jowl in a sauce made from soy sauce, cooking wine, garlic, oyster sauce, and sugar over low heat until reduced.
Stir occasionally to ensure the sauce thoroughly coats the meat, creating an explosion of umami.
Remembering these three points will help you make a delicious hot pot rice without fail.
👨🍳 Directions
Thaw 8.8 oz (250g) of frozen Iberico pork jowl in water with 1 tbsp of sugar dissolved in it for about 10 minutes.
In a pot, add 1 cup of rice and stir-fry for 1 minute. Then pour in 1 cup of rice water (rice:water = 1:1) and bring to a boil.
Once it boils, reduce the heat to low and simmer until the bottom of the pot is visible, then cover with a lid.
In another pan, heat 1 tbsp of perilla oil, add 0.5 tbsp of minced garlic, 1 bag of blanched fernbrake, and 0.5 tbsp of soy sauce. Stir-fry quickly over high heat for 1 minute.
In the same pan, sear the thawed pork jowl until golden brown and cut it into bite-sized pieces.
To the pork jowl, add 1 tbsp of soy sauce, 1 tbsp of cooking wine, 1 tbsp of minced garlic, 1 tbsp of oyster sauce, and 1 tbsp of sugar. Stir well and simmer over low heat until reduced.
Season the rinsed aged kimchi with 0.5 tbsp of sesame oil and 0.5 tbsp of sugar.
Place the seasoned aged kimchi, stir-fried fernbrake, and braised pork jowl generously over the cooked rice in the pot. Garnish with chopped green onions to finish.
Mix the ingredients with the rice as desired and enjoy.
💡 Tips
Using sugar water is effective for quickly thawing frozen meat.
Using rice water (ssal tteumul) when cooking hot pot rice enhances the flavor of the rice.
Instead of mixing all the rice and toppings at once, it's better to scoop out an appropriate amount and mix it with each serving.
Chef's recipes are truly delicious and amazing.
📦 Storage & Reuse
For the best flavor, consume the finished Braised Pork Jowl, Fernbrake, and Aged Kimchi Hot Pot Rice within 2-3 days when stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
Storing the rice and toppings separately can help maintain freshness longer.
To reheat, use a microwave or steam it to partially restore its original taste.
If you wish to freeze it, divide it into individual portions and store in airtight containers or zip-top bags in the freezer for up to 1 month.
Thaw and then reheat thoroughly using a microwave or steamer.
It's important to reheat gently to prevent the rice grains from hardening.
🥢 Who This Is For
This Braised Pork Jowl, Fernbrake, and Aged Kimchi Hot Pot Rice is perfect for a special family meal.
It's also an excellent dish for entertaining guests, with both an impressive appearance and delicious taste.
I highly recommend it, especially for meat lovers.
Thanks to the sourness of the aged kimchi, you can enjoy a hearty portion without feeling greasy.
For side dishes, a refreshing bean sprout soup (kongnamulguk) or a clear seaweed soup (miyeokguk) would complete the meal perfectly.
Fresh seasonal vegetable side dishes or a simple salad can help balance the flavors.
It also pairs wonderfully with a glass of makgeolli (Korean rice wine) or a cold beer.
🔥 Nutrition Info
One serving of this Braised Pork Jowl, Fernbrake, and Aged Kimchi Hot Pot Rice is estimated to contain approximately 700-800 kcal.
Protein is estimated at about 35-45g, fat at about 40-50g, and carbohydrates at about 50-60g.
Pork jowl provides quality protein and fat, while fernbrake is rich in dietary fiber, aiding gut health.
Aged kimchi, a fermented food rich in probiotics, can positively impact digestion.
However, given the high fat content of pork jowl and the use of sugar and soy sauce in the seasoning, sodium and sugar content may be somewhat high.
If health is a concern, it's recommended to adjust the seasoning amounts or serve with plenty of vegetable side dishes.
Using rice water is an excellent way to enhance both the nutrition and taste of the rice.
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