Jeyuk-bokkeum

Thinly sliced pork belly stir-fried with gochujang, ginger, and onions.

Jeyuk-bokkeum is one of the most satisfying and widely eaten meat banchan in Korea, a ferociously flavored stir-fry built around pork belly or shoulder and a gochujang-based sauce that delivers layers of heat, sweetness, garlic, and ginger in every bite. The pork is sliced thin so that the marinade — gochujang, soy sauce, sesame oil, garlic, ginger, and a touch of honey — clings to maximum surface area before the meat hits a blazing-hot pan and chars slightly at the edges while remaining juicy at the center. Onions caramelize alongside the pork, their sweetness tempering the fierce gochujang heat, while green onions added at the end maintain their fresh, sharp bite. Jeyuk-bokkeum is the centerpiece banchan at Korean dosirak lunch boxes — packaged lunches sold from small restaurants and lunch-delivery services — where the bold flavor holds up well at room temperature and powers workers through the afternoon. It is also a beloved anju when paired with cold soju, the interplay of the spicy, fatty pork and the clean burn of the spirit being a deeply Korean pleasure.