Korean pork

Description

500g good-quality pork belly, skin and ribs removed (you can ask your butcher to do this), carved into thin slices
1 large lettuce, such as Little Gem or iceberg, leaves washed and separated, cooked white short-grain rice, to serve
For the marinade
2 Conference pears, peeled and cored
½ white onion
3 garlic cloves
thumb-sized piece ginger
1 spring onion
1 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp brown sugar
1 tbsp toasted sesame oil
2 tbsp Korean chilli paste (or any Asian chilli paste)
For the ssamjang sauce (optional)
3 tbsp Korean soy bean paste
1 ½ tbsp Korean chilli paste
2 tbsp mirin
1 tsp roasted sesame oil
1 tsp sesame seed
½ spring onion, white part only, finely chopped

STEP 1
Put all the ingredients for the marinade in a food processor and blend until smooth. Season to taste, then pour over the sliced pork. You can now cook the meat straight away, but for best results allow it to marinate in the fridge for at least 30 mins.

STEP 2
Make the ssamjang sauce (if using) by mixing all of the ingredients together, then set aside.

STEP 3
Heat a griddle pan over a high heat and cook the pork in batches for 2-3 mins each side until charred and cooked through. Serve with white rice and a few lettuce leaves. To eat, place a small scoop of rice in a leaf, then a piece of pork, smear with ssamjang sauce (if using) and wrap up.