Jayook bokum also known as jaeyook kimchi bokum, is a delicious Korean dish that consists of marinated pork loin which are stir-fried with kimchi and red chili pepper paste, gochujang. When making jaeyook bokum, gochujang is the key base sauce to this dish which determines the flavor and its level of spiciness. Depending on one's taste, spiciness can be softened by adding more soy sauce and less gochujang and red chili powder to the sauce mix.

Jayook bokum can also be prepared with thinly sliced pork belly strips, much like what's found in samgyupsal. Tofu is a great addition commonly found alongside this dish but it is sometimes eaten with a bowl of steamed, white rice to compliment its spiciness. Pork meat are initially cooked over a medium to high heat and then stirred fried with gochujang, kimchi, onions, carrots, scallions and other optional vegetables.

Some prefer pork to be crispy and bacon-like prior to stir-frying all ingredients together. Jayook bokum is popular as an appetizer while drinking soju but also great and hearty as a meal with rice and many other side dishes.

Recipe Ingredients - Sauce

• 1-4 tbsp gochujang
• 1-4 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tbsp garlic (minced)
• 1 tbsp sesame oil
• 1 tbsp ginger juice (or powder)
• 3 tbsp sugar
• Black ground pepper to taste
• 1 tbsp red pepper flakes (optional)
• 1 package of firm tofu (optional)

• 20 oz. pork loin or belly
• ½-1 cup kimchi, bite sized
• 1 onion
• 2 stalks green onions
• ½ carrot
• 1 bell pepper (optional)
• 2 jalapeño peppers (optional)

1. In a bowl, add 1-4 tbsps of gochujang depending on how you want your level of spiciness. Make up any difference with 1-4 tbsps of soy sauce. For example, if you prefer a mild taste, add 2 tbsps of gochujang and 2 tbsps of soy sauce but the total combination should not exceed 4 tbsps total.
2. Add sesame oil, minced garlic, ginger juice or powder, sugar and pinch of black ground pepper.
3. If desired, add 2 tbsps of red pepper flakes to make it spicier.
4. Mix all ingredients well and put aside for later use.
5. For pork loins, use a meat tenderizer and lightly beat on meat until they are become very thin. Cut into desired, bite sized pieces thereafter. For pork bellies, cut thin strips into bite size pieces.
6. Add pork meat to the bowl of sauce that was prepared earlier and thoroughly marinate meat. Optimal time for meat to marinate is 30 minutes -- put aside to prepare vegetables.
7. Cut onion and carrot into thin strips, and cut green onion diagonally. Bell pepper and jalapeños are optional.
8. In a large pan, stir-fry pork for about 4-5 minutes in med-high heat.
9. Add kimchi along with vegetables into mix. Cook until pork is thoroughly cooked.
10. To prepare tofu, boil water in pot and add entire block of tofu for 3-5 minutes in hot water. Rinse with cool water and cut them into smaller, bite-sized "blocks."
11. Place pork and kimchi stirfry in middle of plate and garnish with tofu around the plate.