SPICY PORK BELLY SLIDERS

Spicy Pork Belly Sliders image

Provided by Hooni Kim

Yield Makes 12 sliders (serves 4-or 2 hungry people)

Number Of Ingredients 15

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Marinade:
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
1 cup gochujang (Korean red chili paste)
¼ cup soy sauce
¼ cup minced garlic
¼ cup sugar
3 tablespoons sake
2 tablespoons mirin
2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
2 pounds skinless pork belly, sliced ¼ inch thick (ask the butcher to slice it) and cut into 2-inch squares
To serve:
Unsalted butter
12 slider buns
Mayonnaise
2 English cucumbers, peeled, halved lengthwise, seeded, and sliced into matchsticks

Steps:

To make the marinade, put the onion, gochujang, soy sauce, garlic, sugar, sake, mirin, and sesame oil in a bowl and mix well to combine. Add the pork and turn to coat the meat. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
The next day, set a large sauté pan over medium heat. Once it's hot, add the pork, working in batches so as not to overcrowd the pan and leaving any liquid in the bowl. Cook, stirring occasionally and flipping the meat, until lightly caramelized and golden brown on both sides, about 10 minutes. (If you overcrowd the pan, the meat will steam instead of sear.) Transfer to a platter.
When the meat is cooked, open the buns, butter the interiors, and toast them until they are a light golden brown.
To serve, spread both cut sides of each bun with a healthy smear of mayo and pile the spicy pork generously on the bottoms of the buns. Top with the sliced cucumbers. Serve immediately.
Cooks' Note:
The pork belly must be marinated overnight. You can also grill the pork on an outdoor grill over a high flame. The sugars in the marinade will char and caramelize, giving you a more interesting texture and flavor, but be careful not to burn the pork.