Step 1

Start by preparing the pork, the star of your bulgogi. If you prefer a tender texture, choose pork shoulder. For a chewier bite, pork hind leg is a great option. Pre-sliced pork for bulgogi is readily available and convenient.

Step 2

Next, let’s create the flavorful bulgogi marinade. For the soy sauce base, generously add 4 tablespoons of soy sauce. Sweetness comes from 2 tablespoons of sugar, and 2 tablespoons of mirin (rice wine) will help tenderize the meat. Don’t forget 1 tablespoon of sesame oil for richness and 1 tablespoon of minced garlic for aromatic depth. Whisk everything together to form a delicious marinade.

Step 3

A pinch of black pepper added to the marinade helps eliminate any gamey odors from the pork. Marinate the pork for at least 30 minutes. For an even richer flavor, you can refrigerate it for half a day to allow the marinade to fully penetrate the meat.

Step 4

Prepare your complementary ingredients: fragrant asparagus and garlic cloves for aromatic oil. Thinly slice the garlic cloves for stir-frying. Trim the slightly bitter ends of the asparagus and prepare them as desired; you can keep them whole for a nice presentation.

Step 5

Heat a lightly oiled pan over medium-low heat. Add the sliced garlic and sauté slowly until fragrant. Infusing the oil with garlic essence will elevate the overall flavor of your bulgogi.

Step 6

Once the garlic is fragrant, add all the prepared pork to the pan. Even without numerous additional ingredients, this simple combination of asparagus and bulgogi creates a satisfying and appealing meal.

Step 7

As the pork begins to cook, pour in about half a cup of water (using a standard paper cup as a measure). Adding a little water prevents the pork from sticking and burning, while also creating a delicious sauce that reduces as it cooks. Continue stir-frying over medium heat.

Step 8

Continue cooking over medium heat until the pork is nicely browned and cooked through – your soy sauce bulgogi is ready! If you’ve pre-marinated it well, the cooking process is incredibly simple yet yields fantastic results.

⭐ Chef’s Tip: Instead of sugar in the marinade, try using apple or pear juice. This provides natural sweetness and further tenderizes the meat for an even more delightful texture.

Step 9

When the pork is almost fully cooked, push it to one side of the pan to create space. You’ll notice some moist juices from the water you added earlier.

Step 10

Place the prepared asparagus into the space with the pork juices. This allows the asparagus to cook gently in the flavorful pork broth, similar to blanching, for a tender bite. Cover the pan to steam-cook, or simply let the asparagus simmer lightly in the bubbling juices. This finishes your delicious soy sauce pork bulgogi with fragrant asparagus.