Crispy Air Fryer Pork Belly with Vegetables and Kimchi
A recipe that uses an air fryer to roast pork belly, vegetables, and kimchi together, leveraging the rendered pork belly fat to cook the vegetables and kimchi, resulting in crispy pork belly with a juicy interior.
📝 Editor's Notes
Pork Belly Ramen is a stimulating and addictive recipe that deeply infuses the beloved flavor of Korean pork belly into ramen.
It features garlic and gochugaru (고춧가루) stir-fried in the rendered pork belly fat, adding a spicy yet deeply savory umami.
The spiciness of cheongyang chili peppers (청양고추) and the creaminess of egg further create a perfect balance of flavors.
It's excellent for relieving stress, on a rainy day, or as a hangover cure the morning after a drink.
The difficulty is not much different from cooking regular ramen, making it easy for beginners to try.
It's a perfect meal when you want something hearty and special.
🛒 Ingredient Tips
Pork belly is a key ingredient that determines the taste of this recipe, so it's important to choose fresh, high-quality meat.
Rather than very thin slices, pork belly with a moderate thickness will be juicier and have a better chew when cooked.
'Bomeokdwae' is a neologism meaning 'guaranteed delicious pork,' which can be interpreted as choosing high-quality pork belly.
For garlic, slicing whole cloves will enhance the aroma even more.
For gochugaru (고춧가루), use one with a medium level of spiciness rather than one that is too hot, as this will add a pleasant kick without overpowering the ramen's flavor.
The amount of cheongyang chili peppers (청양고추) can be adjusted to your preference.
🔄 Substitution Guide
If you want to use ingredients other than pork belly, you can use pork neck or pork shoulder.
Pork neck has less fat than pork belly, making it suitable for those who prefer a leaner taste, while pork shoulder can be a cost-effective option.
However, since pork neck or shoulder do not render as much fat as pork belly, you can compensate for the flavor by adding a little cooking oil or butter when stir-frying garlic and gochugaru (고춧가루).
For those with gochugaru (고춧가루) allergies or who cannot handle spice, you can add a small amount of paprika powder or oyster sauce instead to enhance the umami.
The taste will be different, but you can enjoy a new flavor profile.
🥘 Ingredients
👨🍳 Cooking Points
The most crucial cooking point for this Pork Belly Ramen is the process of stir-frying garlic and gochugaru (고춧가루) in the pork belly fat.
First, when cooking the pork belly, it's best to cook it until golden brown on the outside and juicy on the inside, rather than overcooking it, to preserve its delicious juices.
After removing the pork belly, if there's too much rendered pork fat, it's good to remove about half of it to prevent the ramen from becoming too greasy.
When stir-frying garlic, cook it over medium-low heat until golden brown to bring out its fragrant aroma without burning.
When the garlic is almost done, add gochugaru (고춧가루) and quickly stir-fry for about 20 seconds over low heat.
Gochugaru (고춧가루) burns easily, so pay special attention to heat control and stir-fry quickly to prevent burning.
This process determines the flavor of the ramen, so focus carefully.
👨🍳 Directions
In the oil drip tray of the air fryer, place onions, king oyster mushrooms, and kimchi (김치).
Above the tray, arrange the pork belly on the rack, as if hanging laundry to dry.
Operate the air fryer, allowing the pork belly fat to drip down, seeping into and cooking the vegetables and kimchi (김치) below.
Cut the cooked pork belly, vegetables, and kimchi (김치) into bite-sized pieces.
💡 Tips
You can cook the pork belly to be crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside.
It's convenient to cook pork belly, vegetables, and kimchi (김치) all at once without worrying about excess oil, smell, or smoke.
📦 Storage & Reuse
This Pork Belly Ramen is best enjoyed immediately rather than stored after completion.
Ramen noodles can become soggy over time, and the soup's flavor may change.
If there's any leftover pork belly, store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 2-3 days.
You can use it for cooking ramen again or in other dishes like fried rice.
Leftover cheongyang chili peppers (청양고추) can be finely chopped and frozen, making it convenient to use small amounts whenever needed.
Eggs should also be stored fresh in the refrigerator and consumed as soon as possible.
🥢 Who This Is For
This Pork Belly Ramen is highly recommended for those who want a hearty and special meal, especially those who enjoy spicy and rich flavors.
It's excellent as a weekend lunch or dinner, a solo drink snack, or a late-night snack to enjoy with friends.
Good accompaniments include cool and crunchy kkakdugi (깍두기) or well-fermented kimchi (김치).
They will cut through the richness of the ramen and balance the flavors.
It also pairs very well with cold beer or soda.
🔥 Nutrition Info
As pork belly and ramen are the main ingredients of this Pork Belly Ramen, the estimated calories per serving can be high, approximately 700-900 kcal.
Protein intake is estimated to be around 30-40g from pork belly and egg, fat around 50-70g from pork belly and rendered pork fat, and carbohydrates around 70-90g from ramen noodles.
Pork belly contains B vitamins and minerals like zinc, while eggs are a complete protein source providing various nutrients.
Garlic, with its allicin component, helps boost immunity, and gochugaru (고춧가루), with capsaicin, has the effect of invigorating metabolism.
However, sodium content can be high, so it's advisable to moderate soup intake.
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