Korean Pork Belly Stir Fry with Bean Sprouts is unbelievably simple to make but is also soo delicious!! This is a dish that is part of the menu that appears in the popular Korean drama Itaewon Class so cook this and pretend you are at Danbam!
Pork Bell Stir Fry with Bean Sprouts
Pork Belly Stir Fry with Bean Sprouts aka Daepae Samgyeopsal Sukju Bokkeum (대패 삼겹살 숙주 볶음) is a dish that I haven’t had too many times because this is a dish that’s served mostly at bar restaurants or Pocha 포차 in Korea. But I was reminded of this dish when I recently watched the popular Korean drama Itaewon Class on Netflix.
What is Daepae Samgyeopsal 대패 삼겹살?
This kind of cut didn’t exist when I was a kid and I’m always amazed how one person’s idea can change the world. First, Daepae means Handplane (you know.. the wood shaver thingamajig that you use to shave off thin layers of wood) in English and so Daepae Samgyeopsal means pork belly that’s sliced so thin, it feels like the very thin wood shavings that curl up when you use a hand plane to shave off wood.
Baek Jong Won 백종원 became famous because of his idea of serving Daepae Samgyeopsal at his Korean BBQ restaurants. People loved it and his restaurants became very successful.
Daepae Sampgyeopsal Sukju Bokkeum, therefore, means it’s a stir fry (bokkeum) of paper-thin slices of pork belly (daepae samgyeopsal) and bean sprouts (sukju). I think there’s a similar dish in Japanese cuisine of stir frying pork with bean sprouts but what is unique is that we use this really thinly sliced pork belly (not just pork butt) and that of course, Koreans like to add a bit of spice. See my optional toppings below.
What is Pocha 포차?
In the Itaewon Class drama (available on Netflix), the main character opens a Pocha. And you may wonder, how is that different from a regular Sikdang 식당 (restaurant)? The world Pocha comes from Pojang Macha 포장마차. Macha means cart or wagon and Pojang means to wrap or covered.
So.. together it means a ‘covered wagon’ and for many years, Korean street vendors sold usually Bunsik (snack items like tteokbokki, oden, etc) in their carts. Then around 2010, the concept of bars and Izakaya were introduced into Korean food culture. Along with that, some started to turn these Bunsik Pojang Macha into ones that sell Sul 술 (alcohol) and Anju 안주 (foods that are meant to be enjoyed with an alcoholic beverage.
At which point, they started to call their carts Pocha instead of Pojang Macha… and so these days, Pocha has become the word to represent the kinds of restaurants that serve Alcoholic beverage + foods that go well with them – whether it is in a cart or an actual full restaurant. Thus, the Danbam restaurant that appears in Itaewon Class belongs to this ‘Pocha’ category.
Interestingly, the Anju menu for these restaurants are pretty similar – they usually include Dakbal (chicken feet), Dak Ttongjip (chicken gizzard), Jokbal (pig feet) and this Samgyeopsal Sukju Bokkeum!!
FROM JINJOO!
Chef’s Tips
- Daepae Samgyeopsal substitutes – Pork Shabu Shabu meat that’s thinly sliced can be a good substitute. But if the pork cut doesn’t have a lot of fat, you may want to add some oil to the pan when cooking. You can certainly substitute beef shabu shabu cuts instead of pork.
- Keep Daepae Samgyeopsal FROZEN until you are ready to cook. If you let it defrost, it will melt and bunch up together.
- Can I slice the pork at home? Yes, just freeze the pork belly for about 1-2 hrs until it becomes firm but not so hard that you can’t cut it. Slice it as thin as you can, against the grain.
- Don’t overcook the bean sprouts – This dish is really easy to make but one thing you want to keep in mind is that bean sprouts cook very quickly and if they overcook, you will end up with very stringy sprouts which are not fun to eat. Be sure to turn heat off and transfer to a dish from the pan when the bean sprouts still look pretty plump and not fully cooked. It will continue to cook after you turn the heat off.
- Oyster Sauce has MSG – FYI, most Oyster sauces have MSG. If you are fine with MSG, go ahead and use it. But you know I don’t do well with MSG and lately I found that there are brands that make this classic Chinese sauce without MSG. Kikkoman was one brand I found.
- Additional Toppings – before serving, top with some or all of the following:
- sliced Korean green chilis or Jalapeno peppers for a great spicy kick
- crispy roasted garlic slices
- some herbs like Perilla or even Cilantro will add additional pop of flavor
How to make Pork Belly Stir Fry with Bean Sprouts (Samgyeopsal Sujkju Bokkeum)
Ingredients
- 1/2 lb pork belly, thinly sliced
- 1/2 lb bean sprouts
- 2 tsp Oyster sauce (most brands have MSG in them but there are some that doesn’t)
- 1/4 tsp fresh ginger, grated or chopped
- 1 tsp soy sauce
- 2 tsp rice wine
- Optionally – 3-4 garlic cloves, Korean green chilis or Jalapeno peppers, Perilla or Cilantro as garnish
<Optional> Crispy Garlic Topping
If you like garlic and you like crunchy, then do this extra step of making crispy garlic slivers as topping. Cut garlic into thin slivers, then heat 1 Tbsp oil in the frying pan, saute on medium heat until garlic is brown and crispy. Remove oil from your pan because pork belly alreayd will render a lot of fat when cooked. If you are NOT using pork belly, you can just use this oil to saute your dish.
This dish is best enjoyed HOT right from the pan. So, start cooking when you are ready to eat!
Korean Pork Belly Stir Fry with Bean Sprouts is one of those recipes that are just too simple to be yummy but please believe me when I say it’s simply awesome!
- Rinse bean sprouts and drain.
- Cut green onions into diagonal slices or chopped. Chop fresh ginger.
- MIX oyster sauce, soy sauce, rice wine and set aside.
- Heat a non-stick frying pan on medium high heat. Let it heat for couple min. until water sizzles when you sprinkle water on it.
- Add pork belly to frying pan and saute for 2 min until it’s mostly cooked.
- Add ginger. Saute with the ginger for just a few seconds.
- Swirl in the sauce and keep mixing and cooking until everything is well mixed.
- Add bean sprouts. Keep sauteeing for another 1-2 min. until sprouts are soft but still a little firm. Bean sprouts will continue to cook in residual heat so it’s best to stop cooking and transfer out of your pan onto a plate right away.
- Finish off with some green onions, fresh cracked pepper or ground black pepper.
- Optionally, add other toppings – green chili peppers and/or crispy garlic bits.
- Serve on top of rice for a simple rice bowl or enjoy it as Anju with your favorite Soju, Sake, Makgeolli and imagine that you are sitting at the DanBam bar!
Well, I hope you get to make this during the holidays!! I know you will love it!!
XOXO ❤️,
JinJoo
Pork Belly Stir Fry with Bean Sprouts (Daepae Samgyeopsal Sukju Bokkeum)
Ingredients
- 1/2 lb Pork Belly paper thinly sliced
- 1/2 lb Bean Sprouts
Seasoning
- 2 tsp Oyster Sauce
- 1/4 tsp ginger chopped
- 1 tsp soy sauce
- 2 tsp Korean rice wine (mirim 미림) substitute white wine or mirin
Optional Toppings (chili peppers and/or garlic)
- 1 each Green chili peppers (optional) Korean chili or Jalapeno peppers
- 3 each garlic cloves (optional) thinly sliced
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
Instructions
OPTIONAL (Crispy Garlic Topping)
- If you like garlic and you like crunchy, then do this extra step of making crispy garlic slivers as topping. Cut garlic into thin slivers, then heat 1 Tbsp oil in the frying pan, saute on medium heat until garlic is brown and crispy. Remove oil from your pan and save for later. We don't need this extra oil since pork belly is quite fatty.
Pork Belly Stir Fry with Bean Sprouts
- Rinse bean sprouts and drain. Cut green onions into diagonal slices or chopped. Chop fresh ginger.
- Prepare seasoning by mixing the oyster sauce, soy sauce, rice wine and set aside.
- Heat a non-stick frying pan on medium high heat. Let it heat for couple min. until water sizzles when you sprinkle water on it.
- Add pork belly into the pan and saute for 2 min until it's mostly cooked. Add ginger saute for few seconds then stir in sauce. Stir until everything is well mixed.
- Add the bean sprouts. Keep sauteeing for another 1-2 min. until sprouts are soft but still a little firm. Bean sprouts will continue to cook in residual heat so it's best to stop cooking and transfer out of your pan onto a plate right away.
- Finish off with some fresh green onions, cracked pepper or ground black pepper. Optionally, add green chili peppers and/or crispy garlic bits. Serve on top of rice for a simple rice bowl or enjoy it as Anju with your favorite Soju, Sake, Makgeolli and pretend you are sitting at the DanBam bar!
Tips & Notes:
- This dish is best enjoyed HOT right from the pan. So, start cooking when you are ready to eat!
- Daepae Samgyeopsal substitutes – buy pork belly, freeze for 1-2 hrs, slice it thin yourself OR use thinly sliced beef cuts sold for beef steak sandwich
- Keep Daepae Samgyeopsal FROZEN until you are ready to cook. If you let it defrost, it will melt and bunch up together.
- Can I slice the pork at home? Yes, just freeze the pork belly for about 1-2 hrs until it becomes firm but not so hard that you can’t cut it. Slice it as thin as you can, against the grain.
- Don’t overcook the bean sprouts – This dish is really easy to make but one thing you want to keep in mind is that bean sprouts cook very quickly and if they overcook, you will end up with very stringy sprouts which are not fun to eat. Be sure to turn heat off and transfer to a dish from the pan when the bean sprouts still look pretty plump and not fully cooked. It will continue to cook after you turn the heat off.
- Oyster Sauce has MSG – FYI, most Oyster sauces have MSG. If you are fine with MSG, go ahead and use it. But you know I don’t do well with MSG and lately I found that there are brands that make this classic Chinese sauce without MSG. Kikkoman was one brand I found.
- Additional Toppings – before serving, top with some or all of the following:
- sliced Korean green chilis or Jalapeno peppers for a great spicy kick
- crispy roasted garlic slices
- some herbs like Perilla or even Cilantro will add additional pop of flavor
I totally wish you were my neighbor… ❤️
Awww.. thank you!!