Korean barbecued pork

This is another dish inspired by that little gem that is our local Korean restaurant in London, called Cah-Chi, from which I got the idea for the sesame beef stir-fry, one of my earliest blog posts. Now that we live in Brussels, popping down to our Korean on a Friday evening is not as easy as it used to be - unless we decide to finally invest in that private jet. Therefore, as they say: if Mahomet will not go to the mountain, then the mountain must go to Mahomet. In this case, the mountain being the mouth-watering barbecued pork, which owes its distinctive taste to the spicy marinade it is left in for 24 hours prior to being cooked. I could not track down any gochujang so I have tried to recreate the marinade without it, and I am happy to say I was pleasantly surprised with the results!

INGREDIENTS (for two people)

• 2 pork loin steaks 
• 1 thumb-sized piece of grated ginger
• 1 large finely chopped shallot (or two small ones)
• 1 fat clove of garlic, finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons of sesame or groundnut oil
• 2 tablespoons of soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon of rice vinegar (or you can use sherry vinegar)
• 2 teaspoons of gochujang, or alternatively use chilli paste/purée
• 1 teaspoon of brown sugar

Cut the pork steaks in two lenghtwise, just like you would cut open a roll to make a sandwich. You will end up with four thinner steaks. Place each steak between two sheets of clingfilm and bash them with a rolling pin to flatten them further; then cut each steak in 1 cm wide strips.

Place all the ingredients listed above in a bowl to make the marinade, add the pork and mix it well to ensure each single piece is well coated. Cover the bowl with clingfilm and let it marinade overnight, or if you can for 24 hours, stirring it a couple of times during this period.

Cook the pork just before you are ready to eat it, to avoid it going dry. If you are so lucky as to have a garden, you should definitely cook this on the barbecue. If you don't (like me), then use a cast iron griddled pan, making sure it is very hot before laying the strips of pork on it. If the strips are thin, they won't need more than a couple of minutes each side. Remember that pork must be cooked through and its juices run clear before it is safe to eat.

Sprinkle the pork with toasted sesame seeds and serve it alongside some stir-fried vegetables (cooked in a wok with some grated ginger, garlic, spring onion, coriander and soy sauce).