KOREAN HOME COOKING
Minari Pork Jowl Steak (미나리항정스테이크)
미나리항정스테이크 · Minari Hangjeong Steak
A thick pork jowl steak is packed with peppery minari, air-fried until its fat turns crisp, and sliced around a spicy-sweet gochujang mayo.
Editorially reviewed for global home kitchens · Updated September 8, 2026
QUICK ANSWER
What to know before you cook
A thick pork jowl steak is packed with peppery minari, air-fried until its fat turns crisp, and sliced around a spicy-sweet gochujang mayo.
Minari Pork Jowl Steak (미나리항정스테이크) takes about 55 minutes and makes 4 servings. It is rated moderate and the finished dish is medium-hot as written. For mild sauce, omit the Cheongyang chile and fine gochugaru and use only 1 teaspoon gochujang; for more heat, keep the chile seeds or add a second chile.
The key cooking cue: Keep raw pork on a separate board and do not rinse it; wash the knife, board, hands, and counter before handling ready-to-eat ingredients.
WHY THIS DISH MATTERS
A little cultural context
Minari is a familiar Korean spring green, valued for its clean aroma and resilient crunch. It often accompanies rich grilled pork because its herbal bite refreshes the palate; stuffing it inside well-marbled hangjeongsal turns that classic pairing into a playful modern air-fryer centerpiece.
INGREDIENTS
What you'll need
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COOKING WEBTOON
Cook it panel by panel
A quick visual memory guide for the whole recipe.
1Cut the pocket
7 minDry the minari and pork. Trim the minari, then cut one deep lengthwise pocket into the pork without slicing through the far side.
- 2
Pack and season
6 minFill the pocket tightly with minari, trim the overhang, and season the outside generously with salt and pepper.
- 3
Fat side up
16 minSet the steak in the preheated air fryer with its thick fatty side facing up and cook at 374°F/190°C.
- 4
Flip once
15 minTurn with tongs, season the newly exposed side, and air-fry again until the center reaches a safe temperature.
- 5
Rest, sauce, slice
6 minRest the pork while mixing the gochujang mayo, then cut into medallions and serve with the sauce.
AI-assisted illustration. Follow the written recipe below for exact measurements, air-fryer settings, thermometer placement, and raw-pork safety.
DIRECTIONS
How to make it
- 01
Prepare the minari and pork · 7 minutes
Rinse the minari in several changes of cold water, spin or pat it completely dry, and trim away tough root ends. Pat the pork dry. Lay it flat and, with the knife parallel to the board, cut one deep pocket through the long side, stopping about 1/2 inch/1.25 cm before the far edge so the steak opens like a book but stays in one piece.
- 02
Stuff, trim, and season · 6 minutes
Pack the minari firmly into the pocket, keeping the stems aligned lengthwise. Close the pork around it and trim only the greens extending beyond the meat. Season the outside with 2 generous pinches of salt and half the pepper. Preheat the air fryer to 374°F/190°C for about 4 minutes, or as your model directs.
- 03
Air-fry with the fat facing up · 16 minutes
Place the stuffed steak directly in the basket with the thickest, fattiest side facing up. Air-fry at 374°F/190°C for 16 minutes. At the end, the top fat should be sizzling and beginning to turn golden, but the underside may still look pale.
- 04
Flip once and finish · 15 minutes
Turn the whole steak once with tongs. Season the newly exposed side with the remaining 2 pinches of salt and pepper, then air-fry at 374°F/190°C for 15 minutes. Insert an instant-read thermometer through the side into the thickest pork, avoiding the minari pocket: it must reach at least 145°F/63°C. If it has not, cook in 3-minute increments and check again.
- 05
Rest, mix the sauce, and slice · 6 minutes
Move the steak to a clean board and rest for at least 5 minutes. Meanwhile, finely mince the Cheongyang chile and stir it with the mayonnaise, sugar, gochujang, vinegar, fine gochugaru, and garlic until smooth and evenly red. Cut the pork across the minari-filled pocket into 1/2-inch/1.25-cm medallions and serve with the sauce.
COOK WITH CONFIDENCE
Fix common problems
Use the symptom, likely cause, and rescue step while you cook.
The outside browns before the center is ready
Likely causeThe pork is thicker than the broadcast cut or the air fryer runs hot.
How to fix itLower the air fryer to 350°F/175°C and continue in 3-minute increments. Check the center with an instant-read thermometer instead of judging by color.
The minari falls out while slicing
Likely causeThe pocket was loosely packed or the steak was cut before it rested.
How to fix itPack the stems firmly, leave the pocket hinge intact, and rest the cooked steak for at least 5 minutes. Slice with a sharp knife using long strokes.
The pork seems greasy rather than crisp
Likely causeThe fatty side started underneath or rendered fat pooled around the steak.
How to fix itStart with the thick fatty side facing up, then carefully drain the basket before the second cook. Give the finished steak a 2-minute uncovered rest before slicing.
SHOP & SUBSTITUTE
Cook it anywhere
Ingredient swaps
Whole pork jowl steakAsk a butcher for uncured pork cheek/jowl. If unavailable, use one thick boneless pork collar or well-marbled shoulder steak that can hold a pocket; rely on the thermometer because its cook time may differ.
MinariUse Japanese seri if available. Otherwise combine flat-leaf parsley stems with a smaller amount of celery leaves; the flavor is not identical, but the fresh peppery contrast works.
Cheongyang chileUse 1 small serrano for similar clean heat, 1/2 jalapeño for milder heat, or omit it.
Rice vinegarUse apple cider vinegar or distilled white vinegar; start with 1 teaspoon if the substitute tastes sharp.
Fine gochugaruPulse coarse Korean gochugaru briefly. Do not replace it tablespoon-for-tablespoon with cayenne, which is much hotter.
Korean pantry guide
Korean water parsley has crisp hollow stems and a fresh, peppery-herbal flavor that cuts through rich meat.
Search: Korean minari water parsley freshA richly marbled cut from the pig's cheek and neck area, prized in Korea for its springy bite and crisp-rendering fat.
Search: uncured pork jowl steak hangjeongsalFermented Korean chile paste gives the dipping sauce savory depth, gentle sweetness, and body.
Search: Korean gochujang fermented chile pasteFinely ground Korean red pepper disperses smoothly in sauces and is usually rounder and fruitier than cayenne.
Search: Korean fine red pepper powder goun gochugaruA small Korean green chile with direct, assertive heat and a fresh grassy aroma.
Search: Korean Cheongyang green chileServe it with
- Steamed Korean short-grain rice
- Baechu kimchi or kkakdugi
- Lettuce and perilla leaves for ssam wraps
Spice level
Medium-hot as written. For mild sauce, omit the Cheongyang chile and fine gochugaru and use only 1 teaspoon gochujang; for more heat, keep the chile seeds or add a second chile.
Store & reheat
Refrigerate the sliced pork and sauce in separate airtight containers within 2 hours. Keep for 3 days. Reheat only the pork at 350°F/175°C for 6 to 8 minutes, until the center reaches 165°F/74°C; serve the chilled sauce after stirring. Do not microwave the sauce.
REAL COOK QUESTIONS
Good questions, clear answers
Short answers for substitutions, heat level, make-ahead cooking, and serving.
What can I substitute for Whole pork jowl steak in Minari Pork Jowl Steak (미나리항정스테이크)?
Ask a butcher for uncured pork cheek/jowl. If unavailable, use one thick boneless pork collar or well-marbled shoulder steak that can hold a pocket; rely on the thermometer because its cook time may differ.
Is Minari Pork Jowl Steak (미나리항정스테이크) spicy?
Medium-hot as written. For mild sauce, omit the Cheongyang chile and fine gochugaru and use only 1 teaspoon gochujang; for more heat, keep the chile seeds or add a second chile.
Can I make Minari Pork Jowl Steak (미나리항정스테이크) ahead of time?
Refrigerate the sliced pork and sauce in separate airtight containers within 2 hours. Keep for 3 days. Reheat only the pork at 350°F/175°C for 6 to 8 minutes, until the center reaches 165°F/74°C; serve the chilled sauce after stirring. Do not microwave the sauce.
What should I serve with Minari Pork Jowl Steak (미나리항정스테이크)?
Serve it with Steamed Korean short-grain rice, Baechu kimchi or kkakdugi, Lettuce and perilla leaves for ssam wraps.
KEEP COOKING
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