Tender and Odorless Boiled Pork Belly (Suyuk)
Tender and Odorless Boiled Pork Belly (Suyuk)
Guaranteed Odor-Free Boiled Pork Belly: A Suggestion from Laentha, Who is Sensitive to Smells
My refrigerator, which had only been used for 3 months, started showing signs of malfunction. It was as if it was struggling to stay alive, and I had been gently coaxing it to work for about a year before finally deciding to replace it after 8 years. Just as I was enjoying the new refrigerator, a significant gap of over a week opened up between the return of the old one and the delivery of the new one due to the year-end and New Year holidays. Fortunately, I consoled myself by thinking it was winter. I used containers to store frozen foods, ensuring they were sealed tightly to keep animals away, and placed them in a shaded spot in the backyard, weighing them down with heavy planks. I wondered why it wasn’t dropping below freezing even in winter during this week. After much worry, the new refrigerator finally arrived. As I was organizing the containers I had stored outside, I looked at the meat and fish and began to cook various dishes in a hurry. I had already prepared fish stew, meatballs, and even grilled two steaks. But the moment I took out a large chunk of pork belly that wasn’t vacuum-sealed and had mostly thawed, I couldn’t help but sigh and start boiling water in my steamer. This recipe is the result of that urgency!
Ingredients- 1 large piece of Pork Belly (about 600-800g)
- 1 knob of Ginger (about 30g)
- 1-2 stalks of Green Onion (white parts mainly)
- or 3-4 stalks of Scallions/Spring Onions
Cooking Instructions
Step 1
First, prepare the aromatics that will help remove any unpleasant odor from the pork. Peel the ginger and slice it thinly into rounds. Wash the green onions, and cut the white parts into large chunks, about 2-3 segments each. If using scallions or spring onions, remove the roots and cut them into lengths of about 5-7 cm.
Step 2
Cut the large piece of pork belly into two pieces that will fit into your steamer. Fill the steamer with plenty of water and bring it to a rolling boil. Once boiling, carefully place the pork belly pieces into the steamer. Generously cover the surface of the pork with the sliced ginger and green onions (or scallions/spring onions). This step is crucial for effectively eliminating any gamey smell and infusing the pork with flavor.
Step 3
Cover the steamer tightly with a lid and steam over high heat for about 1 hour. The cooking time may vary slightly depending on the thickness and size of the pork. To check for doneness, insert a chopstick into the thickest part; if it slides in easily and no pink liquid comes out, it’s perfectly cooked. You can add a little more water to the steamer during cooking if it seems to be drying out.
Step 4
Carefully remove the cooked pork belly from the steamer and let it cool slightly for a few minutes. Then, slice it into bite-sized pieces, about 1 cm thick, and arrange them attractively on a serving plate. This steamed pork belly will be tender and savory with most of the fat rendered out. Serve it warm with your favorite dipping sauces like ssamjang, salted shrimp, or kimchi for an exceptionally delicious meal.
