SPICY PORK AND GOCHUJANG BOLOGNESE NOODLES

SOURCE: HOONI KIM AND AKI KAMOZAWA. MY KOREA: TRADITIONAL FLAVORS, MODERN RECIPES.

Inspired by his love of Italian food, Hooni Kim reimagines and recreates the Bolognese ragù with four Korean twists. BKO Sauce replaces soffritto for the aromatic base; the fermented chili paste, gochujang, substitutes the tomatoes in dyeing the sauce red with an added fiery and spicy kick; the tandem of soy sauce and sugar takes the role of milk to quickly tenderize the meat proteins off-heat; and Korean noodles, jajang or kalguksu, provide the hearty body in lieu of the richness present in egg-based pastas of Emilia-Romagna. Hooni serves the noodles in his restaurant, Danji, as a winter lunch staple, so guests can relish in the sensation of warmth from its boldly hot flavor.

Ingredients

1 tablespoon/15 mL grapeseed OR canola oil

1 pound/450 grams ground pork

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 tablespoons/17 grams gochugaru or Korean red chili flakes

2 cups/100 grams finely chopped onions

2 tablespoons/20 grams finely chopped garlic

2 tablespoons/30 mL soy sauce, preferably Korean

1/4 cup/30 grams BKO Sauce

1 cup/270 grams gochujang or Korean red chili paste, preferably artisan brands or slightly hot commercial brands

1 tablespoon/13 grams sugar

1 pound/450 grams dried noodles, preferably jajang OR kalguksu noodles

OPTIONAL: 1 cup/240 mL dashi stock, preferably homemade

1 medium seedless cucumber, julienned, for garnish

Specific Equipment

Medium pot

Wooden spoon

Large pot

Colander

Large ice bath

Serves 4

Instructions

1. Heat the grapeseed or canola oil in a medium pot over medium heat. Sauté in the ground pork for 2 minutes, stirring and breaking the pork gently with a wooden spoon, or until the pork has turned brown. Season the pork lightly with salt and pepper to taste and stir in the gochugaru. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until the mixture is well-blended.

2. Stir in the onions and garlic and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon, or until the onions have turned soft and translucent. Stir in the soy sauce, BKO Sauce, gochujang, and sugar and continue cooking for 2 to 3 minutes until the mixture well-blended. Remove the medium pot from heat and set aside.

3. Bring the water in a large pot to a boil over high heat. Drop in the noodles and cook for 7 to 8 minutes or around a minute less than the suggested cooking time in the noodle package. The noodles should be al dente or almost but not quite tender. Drain the noodles through a colander, reserving 1 cup/240 mL of the cooking water, if desired, and shock the noodles in the colander over a large ice bath to stop the cooking and wash away the exterior starch as this will enhance the elasticity and chewiness of the noodles.

4. Lift and gently shake the colander to completely drain the noodles. Transfer the noodles to the medium pot with the sauce. Toss the noodles and sauce together gently over high heat for 3 to 4 minutes or until the noodles are hot and absorb the sauce. Pour and stir in the dashi or the reserved noodle cooking water, if the noodles look too dry.

5. Remove the pot from heat and divide the noodles equally among four bowls or deep-bottomed plates. Sprinkle the noodles with cucumber for garnish.