Cold-Smoked Pork Belly with Gochujang Glaze
Pork belly is first dry-cured and then cold-smoked with a Korean-inspired gochujang glaze. The fermented chili paste gives the meat a deep, spicy sweetness with a gentle heat. The result is an aromatic, slightly firm belly bacon with an intense smoky flavor.
Ingredients(for 1 kg)
Instructions
Dry Curing
4-5 daysMix curing salt, brown sugar and black pepper. Rub the pork belly evenly on all sides, vacuum seal and store at 4 °C in the refrigerator. Turn daily.
Blooming
12 hoursRemove the meat from the vacuum bag, rinse cold and pat thoroughly dry. Allow to bloom uncovered on a wire rack in the refrigerator at 4 °C for 12 hours until the surface is dry and slightly glossy.
Applying the Glaze
2 hoursMix gochujang paste, sesame oil, garlic and ginger together. Spread the mixture thinly and evenly over the pork belly. Allow to dry again on the wire rack at room temperature for 1-2 hours.
Cold Smoking
8-10 hoursKeep the smoker at 15-20 °C. Use apple and cherry wood in a 2:1 ratio. Cold smoke the pork belly for 8-10 hours, planning 2 smoke phases of 4 hours each with a 1-hour break. Then rest in the refrigerator for 24 hours.
Pro Tip
Apply the gochujang glaze only after blooming and let it dry slightly before starting the smoke – this helps the smoke flavor adhere better to the slightly sticky surface.
Glossary Terms
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