Ogyeopsal Tteokgalbi with Époisses Sauce

Serve when

Serve the moment the tteokgalbi patty comes off the grill and the warmed Époisses sauce is spooned over the top.

In the series

Season 1

S1E4 · ~00:20:00 Black Spoon contestant "Triple Star" grills a five-layer pork belly tteokgalbi (Korean short-rib-style patty) finished with a pungent Époisses cheese sauce for his Round 2 one-on-one match

In the series

Pairing a Korean grilled-pork patty with one of France's most aggressively funky cheeses is a direct one-on-one provocation — a Black Spoon daring a White Spoon judge to accept that Korean technique and French dairy can share a plate without either one apologizing for itself.

Ingredients

1 1/2 lb ogyeopsal (five-layer pork belly), ground or finely minced
3 tablespoons grated Asian pear
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon sesame oil
4 oz Époisses cheese, rind trimmed
1/4 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

Method

Mix the ground pork belly with the grated pear, soy sauce, brown sugar, garlic, and sesame oil, and form into thick patties. Chill for 20 minutes to firm up.
Grill or pan-sear the patties over medium-high heat until charred on the outside and just cooked through, a few minutes per side — 160 F at the center, as for any ground pork.
Meanwhile, warm the Époisses gently with the cream and Dijon mustard in a small pan, whisking until it melts into a smooth, pungent sauce.
Plate the patties and spoon the warm cheese sauce generously over the top.

Substitutions

Époisses: a strong washed-rind cheese like Taleggio can stand in if Époisses isn't available, though it's noticeably milder.
Ogyeopsal: any well-marbled ground pork shoulder works if five-layer belly isn't sold pre-ground where you shop; ask a butcher to grind it for you.

Beyond the recipe

Go deeper

Wikipedia: Culinary Class Wars

Watch & shop

Époisses cheese — Amazon

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