A solid recipe, and my first attempt at Korean food. As described, I find it to be a waste of something so sublime as pork belly: the meat is cooked too quickly, and for too short a period of time, losing out on much of the richness of such a decadent cut of meat. While I would probably be losing some ethnic authenticity if I did so, the next time I try this recipe I will probably just sear the meat in the fat (without cooking it through, as specified above), and then immediately add the stock, and braise the pork for over an hour before adding the tofu and other finishing touches.
Pork Belly Soft-Tofu Hot Pot
Freshly made tofu is traditionally used for this dish, but commercial silken tofu is a good substitute. The recipe is from Ktown's popular B.C.D Tofu House.
Credit: James Baigrie
1/4 cup solidified rendered beef fat or lard
2 tbsp. Korean crushed hot red pepper
2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
2 scallions, trimmed and minced
3 oz. pork belly, cut into 1/2" cubes
3 cups rich beef broth
1 sheet laver or nori
(dried seaweed in thin sheets), optional
1 18-oz. container silken tofu
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tsp. Asian sesame oil
1 egg
1. Heat a medium stone pot or heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat. Add beef fat, crushed red pepper, garlic, and half the scallions, and cook, stirring frequently, until fat melts and garlic and scallions are fragrant, 1–3 minutes. Add pork belly, and fry, stirring frequently, until just cooked through without browning, about 3 minutes. Carefully add broth, and boil vigorously until slightly thickened, 20–30 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, use a sharp knife or kitchen shears to cut several wide strips from the laver, if using, and set aside. (Save remaining laver for another use.) Drain silken tofu, and add to pot (silken tofu is very soft and will break into large pieces). Bring broth back to a boil, and cook until tofu has warmed through and breaks into smaller pieces, about 10 minutes. Add remaining scallions, and season to taste with salt and pepper. Stir in sesame oil, and garnish hot pot with reserved laver strips, if using.
3. To serve, carefully bring boiling hot pot to the table, break egg into hot pot, and allow to poach for a few minutes before eating. Serve with bowls of hot steamed rice, if you like.
SERVES 2 – 4
Ratings & Reviews (2)
i love BCD Tofu house but never tried this pork belly version. The recipe just seems unnecessarily heavy - to add rendered beef fat to cook the pork belly, and then topping it off with sesame oil at the end? Soft tofu soup with seafood seems a better (and healthier) choice.
Pork Belly Soft-Tofu Hot Pot
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