Jeyuk bokkeum

Jeyuk bokkeum is a Korean stir-fried dish of thinly sliced pork marinated and cooked in a sauce built on gochujang (red chilli paste). It is one of the everyday home-style and restaurant dishes in Korea.

What it really is

Thin slices of pork shoulder or pork neck are marinated in a mixture of gochujang, gochugaru (red chilli flakes), soy sauce, garlic, sugar or syrup, sesame oil and grated pear or onion. The meat is then stir-fried over high heat with sliced onion, spring onion and often carrot, and sometimes cabbage, until the sauce caramelises and coats the pork. Sesame seeds are added at the end.

It is related to bulgogi, which uses beef or pork in a sweeter, soy-based marinade and is usually grilled. Jeyuk bokkeum is spicier, is cooked in a pan rather than grilled, and is normally made with pork rather than beef.

How it's served

• Served hot on a shared plate, usually at a table with rice and several side dishes (banchan)
• Eaten with steamed rice, often wrapped in lettuce leaves with a little rice and ssamjang
• Often ordered as a set or main course in a Korean restaurant, sometimes cooked on a table-top burner
• Commonly finished with a handful of sesame seeds and sliced spring onion

How to write it on the menu

• Name the pork cut (pork shoulder or pork neck) and state that it is stir-fried with gochujang and gochugaru for heat
• Flag SOY (soy sauce), WHEAT (soy sauce and gochujang may contain wheat), and SESAME (sesame oil and seeds)
• Note the heat level, as the dish is typically spicy; offer a mild version on request if available
• Specify whether it is served with rice and lettuce wraps, as is customary