Choi Kang-rok dropped his “Chefs' Secrets of K-food” for a black pork curry he created.
The April 21 episode of SBS’ “Chefs' Secrets of K-food” followed the first journey of Choi Kang-rok and Kim Do-yoon.
On the trip to Jirisan, the duo brainstormed the best possible dish using black pork. Choi grabbed attention with a black pork curry.
He cut generous chunks of Jirisan black pork, salted them for a quick pre-season, then gave them a first sear. “Even without aging, if you season and grill it, you get plenty of flavor,” he explained. After tasting the seared pork, Defconn raved, “You don’t even need to age this. I could eat it right now.”
Kim Do-yoon insisted they still needed to age the meat, which sparked laughter.
Choi said more than half of a curry’s flavor comes from onions, then sauteed onions in rendered black pork fat. “Pork fat ranks No. 8 in the superfoods world,” he added.
He then stir-fried carrots, garlic, banana, apple, and celery together with the onions, and cooked everything in a pressure cooker.
Here came the cheat code: mango chutney. “It pairs so well with curry. The spicy kind works even better,” Choi explained.
He finished by stirring curry blocks into the pressure-cooked pork and vegetables. Black pork curry: complete.
Defconn praised the dish. “I’ve never had curry like this. It’s so good.” Chef Kim Do-yoon was satisfied, too, noting, “The skin is thick and really tasty,” which drew nods all around.
Called a dish that’s “so Choi Kang-rok,” he revealed the kick behind the Jirisan black pork curry: pork fat. The high-quality lard from the meat ― that’s the “Chefs' Secrets of K-food” of this curry.
Later, Defconn asked Choi, who’s often told he “kicked away his own luck,” if he worries he’ll regret his choices. Choi replied, “I think I’ve been through that kind of situation about three times. I’m ready to be forgotten. People forget you in about three months. And I am rowing in my own way. I’m just not moving fast. But I think I’m okay with that,” adding, “I’m ready to be forgotten, but I don’t want to be forced out.” His candid stance drew attention.
(SBS Entertainment News | Kim Hyo-jung)