Pressure Cooker Korean Soy Glazed Pork Belly Food

PRESSURE COOKER PORK BELLY (KAKUNI)

Steps:

• Gather all the ingredients. My pork belly was from a Korean market and it was pre-sliced into ¼ inches (6 mm). If you buy a block of pork belly, you can freeze the meat for 30-60 minutes and slice with a sharp knife (see this post) or cut into 2 inches x 2 inches or 5 cm x 5 cm cubes, which are typical Japanese pork belly (Kakuni) shapes.
• We will only use the green parts of the green onions (How about using the white parts in miso soup to go with this dish?). Cut the green parts in half. Peel the ginger and slice it thinly.
• Press the "Sauté" button on your Instant Pot (I use a 6 QT Instant Pot) and heat the oil. Add the pork belly in a single layer, searing both sides. You may need to work in batches. If so, transfer ones that had been seared to a plate. When you finish, put all the seared pork belly back in the pot. Tip: You can skip the searing process to cut down your entire cooking time, but it will render more fat and make the dish tastier.
• Pour water just to cover the meat, then add the green parts of the green onions and sliced ginger. Cover and lock the lid. Make sure the steam release handle points at "sealing." Press the "Keep Warm/Cancel" button on the Instant Pot to stop cooking. Press the "Manual" button to switch to the pressure cooking mode. Change the cooking time to 35 minutes.
• If you're using a stove-top pressure cooker, cook on high heat until high pressure is reached. Then reduce the heat to low to maintain high pressure for about 30 minutes.
• When it is finished cooking, the Instant Pot will switch automatically to a "Keep Warm" mode. Slide the steam release handle to the "Venting" position to let out steam until the float valve drops down, OR let the pressure release naturally (takes about 15 mins). Unlock the lid and drain the cooking water and discard the green onion and ginger. Rinse the pork belly under warm water.
• Put the pork belly back in the Instant Pot and add water, sake, mirin, soy sauce, and sugar. Mix the seasonings a little bit and add the boiled eggs. Press the "Sauté" button on the Instant Pot and press "Adjust" once to increase the heat. Bring it to simmer to let the alcohol evaporate (no more than a minute). Then press the "Keep Warm/Cancel" button to turn off the Sauté mode. Cover and lock the lid. Make sure the steam release handle points at "sealing." Press "Manual" and set the cooking time to 10 minutes for sliced pork belly and 20 minutes for pork belly cubes.
• When it is finished cooking, the Instant Pot will switch automatically to a "Keep Warm" mode. Slide the steam release handle to the "Venting" position to let out steam until the float valve drops down and unlock the lid. If you have time (this is optional), press the "Sauté" button and simmer on low heat until the liquid in the cooker has reduced by half.
• Serve the rice in a (donburi) bowl and pour the sauce on top. Place the pork belly and egg (add blanched green vegetable if you have any). Pour additional sauce over the meat and serve immediately. If you like it a bit spicy, sprinkle shichimi togarashi (Japanese seven spice). Enjoy!

SPICY KOREAN PORK BELLY (JEYUK BOKKEUM)

Steps:

• Marinade: The day before cooking, slice pork belly into bite-size pieces: 2-inch squares, ¼-inch thin. (Note: Cut the pieces thinner than shown in the video.) Set aside. Smash and peel the garlic, then finely chop. Use the flat part of your knife to press down on the garlic to further break it down, then continue to mince. Place in a mixing bowl along with the pork, sugar, sesame oil, soy sauce, sake, mirin, and gochujang. Mix the ingredients together and set aside.
• Peel and trim the onion, then slice in half. Cut each half into thin half-moon slices. Place the sliced onions on top of the pork mixture, but do not mix. Cover the bowl with plastic and marinate overnight in the refrigerator.
• Garnish: Prior to cooking, trim and discard scallion roots. Fill a bowl with water. Line up scallions in a flat, even layer and use a sharp knife to cut them thinly, employing a slicing motion, not a chopping motion. (Slicing with minimal pressure will keep the scallions bright and vibrant.) Place sliced scallions in water and move around to remove impurities. Drain in a colander, then wrap in a clean towel and squeeze out remaining liquid. Spread scallions on a paper towel-lined plate to further dry while cooking the pork.
• Pork: Remove marinated pork from refrigerator and mix in the onions. Heat a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat, 1 minute. Add ½ tablespoon oil and continue heating, 30 seconds. Add some of the pork and onion mixture in an even layer, making sure not to overcrowd the pan. Lower heat to medium and let the pork cook undisturbed until caramelized on one side, shaking the pan occasionally, 4-5 minutes. Flip meat over and cook the other side, 3-4 more minutes. Remove to a plate and repeat with remaining pork in batches. Garnish with scallions and serve with white rice.

PRESSURE COOKER SPICY PORK SHOULDER

Steps:

• To prepare pork, combine garlic, brown sugar, chile flakes, salt and pepper. Rub marinade all over pork. If you have time, cover and refrigerate for 1 hour to up to 24 hours. Otherwise, proceed with recipe.
• Set electric pressure cooker to sauté (or use a large skillet). Add pork in batches and sear until browned all over, about 2 minutes per side. Add 3/4 cup water to pot (or to skillet to deglaze, then move to pot), cover, and set to cook for 90 minutes on high pressure. Or cook in a slow cooker for 5 to 7 hours until tender.
• While pork cooks, prepare sauce: In a small pot, warm peanut oil over medium heat. Add garlic and ginger, and sauté until fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes. Add remaining ingredients and bring to a simmer. Cook until thickened, 1 to 2 minutes. Set sauce aside. (It can be made up to 1 week ahead and stored in the refrigerator.)
• Manually release steam. Let pork cool until you can handle it, then shred it into bite-size pieces. Pork can be made to this point up to 3 days ahead.
• While pork cools, strain liquid from bottom of pot. Pour off fat (or chill liquid, then scoop off solidified fat with a spoon). Reserve.
• Prepare cucumbers: In a small bowl, combine all ingredients except sesame seeds, and let sit, tossing one or twice, for at least 20 minutes. Stir in sesame seeds.
• When ready to serve, heat broiler. Toss pork with sauce and 1 to 2 tablespoons cooking liquid - just enough so pork is evenly coated but not wet or runny. Spread mixture on a rimmed baking sheet, and broil until crisped on top, 2 to 3 minutes; it will char in places, and that's fine.
• Serve pork over rice or on slider rolls, with cucumbers and kimchi, if desired.

PRESSURE COOKER KALBI JJIM

Steps:

• In a pressure cooker, combine soy sauce, scallions, sugar, garlic, ginger and 1 teaspoon black pepper. Lightly season short ribs with salt and pepper, and add to the cooker. Toss ribs in the sauce. Arrange ribs in an even layer and top with the daikon, potatoes and carrots. Lock pressure cooker lid in place and set steam vent to sealing position. Select high pressure and cook for 30 minutes. Let pressure release naturally.
• Transfer short ribs and vegetables to a large plate. Loosely cover with foil or plastic wrap to keep warm. Carefully pour liquid into a fat separator or large bowl and degrease. Return liquid to the pressure cooker. Using the sauté function, simmer until reduced to about 1 1/2 cups and thickened, about 15 to 20 minutes.
• Add short ribs and simmer, turning, until warmed through and evenly coated in the sauce, about 2 minutes. Divide ribs among 4 shallow bowls. Repeat with vegetables, simmering until warmed, then distributing among the bowls.
• Spoon the sauce over the ribs and vegetables, and serve with rice and kimchi.