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Gochujang pork taco
Serves Serves 4 Starters and mains
Ingredients
- 2tbsp vegetable oil
- 2 onions, thinly sliced
- 800g rindless pork shoulder joint with a little layer of fat on top
- 2 dried bay leaves
For the sauce
- 1/2 apple, roughly chopped
- 4 garlic cloves, crushed
- 2tsp chopped root ginger
- 2tbsp mirin
- 1 heaped tbsp dark soft brown sugar
- 3tbsp gochugaru (Korean red pepper flakes)
- 3tbsp gochujang
- 2tbsp soy sauce
- 2tbsp blackstrap molasses
For the pickled onion
- 1 red onion, thinly sliced
- 1tbsp golden granulated sugar
- 1/4tsp sea salt flakes
- 1 dried red chilli
- 1 lemon peel strip
- 2tbsp cider vinegar
To serve
- warm tortilla breads
- lime wedges
- soured cream, to taste
Method
Preheat the oven to 170C/ 150C F/Gas 31/2).
To make the sauce, put the apple, garlic, ginger and mirin in a food processor and blend to a smooth purée. Transfer to a mixing bowl and add the rest of the sauce ingredients with 250ml just-boiled water. Combine well and set aside.
Heat the vegetable oil in a large, lidded casserole dish over a low heat and sauté the onions with a pinch of salt for 15 minutes until the onions are softened and lightly caramelised. Add the pork and bay leaves and pour the sauce over and around the pork. Increase the heat to bring to a simmer.
Scrunch up a large sheet of baking paper and run it under cold water. Squeeze out the excess water and make a drop lid by laying the paper right on top of the food to cover. Put the casserole lid on top and transfer to the oven. Cook for 3 hours, stirring halfway through.
Meanwhile, to make the pickled onion, put the red onion in a heatproof bowl or container. Combine the sugar, salt and dried chilli with 60ml water in a small pan and gently heat to dissolve the sugar. Add the lemon peel and stir in the vinegar, then pour the warm liquid over the onion. Set aside to cool, then cover and keep in the fridge until needed.
After 3 hours, the pork should be meltingly tender. Discard the bay leaves and carefully lift out the meat on to a tray or chopping board. Skim off some of the excess fat from the sauce if there’s too much. Pull the meat apart with a couple of forks, then stir it back into the sauce.
Transfer the pulled pork on to a sharing platter and serve warm with the pickled onion, tortilla breads, lime wedges and soured cream.
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