If you’re looking for a quick and satisfying rice bowl made with thinly sliced pork belly, this Stamina Don recipe is an easy option that comes together in about 15 minutes.
The green onion is browned first to infuse the oil with flavor, then sliced garlic and thinly sliced pork belly are stir-fried until lightly golden. A savory tare sauce made with brewed soy sauce, Mirim, Cheongha, doubanjiang, honey, and minced garlic is then reduced over low heat until it coats the pork with a rich, glossy finish.
Serve the seasoned pork over warm rice and seasoned roasted seaweed, then top it with an egg yolk for extra richness. The result is a hearty rice bowl with savory, subtly spicy-sweet tare sauce and plenty of roasted garlic aroma.
⏱️ Cooking Time: About 15 minutes
🍳 Difficulty: ★★☆☆☆
✓ Ingredients
🥣 Main Ingredients
- 150 g (5.3 oz) boneless thinly sliced pork belly
- 1 clove garlic
- 1/3 green onion
- 1 bowl cooked rice, about 200 g (7 oz)
- 1 sheet seasoned roasted seaweed
- 1 egg yolk
🧂 Sauce & Seasonings
- 1 tbsp brewed soy sauce
- 1 tbsp Mirim
- 1 tbsp Cheongha
- 1 tsp doubanjiang
- 1 tsp honey
- 1 tsp minced garlic
- Black pepper
(Measurement guide: 1 tbsp = 15 ml, 1 tsp = 5 ml, 1 Korean paper cup = 180 ml / 6.1 fl oz)
✓ How to Make Stamina Don
- Mix the tare sauce: In a small bowl, combine 1 tbsp brewed soy sauce, 1 tbsp Mirim, 1 tbsp Cheongha, 1 tsp doubanjiang, 1 tsp honey, and 1 tsp minced garlic. Mix well and set aside.
- Prep the ingredients: Thinly slice 1 clove garlic, cut 1/3 green onion diagonally, and cut 150 g (5.3 oz) boneless thinly sliced pork belly into bite-size pieces.
- Brown the green onion: Add cooking oil to a skillet and cook the green onion over medium heat until lightly browned and fragrant.
- Cook the garlic and pork: Once the green onion is golden, add the sliced garlic and pork belly. Stir-fry together until the surface of the pork begins to brown.
- Reduce the heat and add the tare sauce: Once the pork is lightly browned, reduce the heat to low. Pour in all of the prepared tare sauce and stir-fry until the pork is evenly coated.
- Finish with black pepper: When the sauce has reduced and lightly coats the pork, add black pepper and toss briefly to finish.
- Assemble the rice bowl: Place 1 bowl of warm cooked rice, about 200 g (7 oz), in a serving bowl. Cut the seasoned roasted seaweed into pieces and scatter it over the rice. Add the cooked pork belly generously on top, then place 1 egg yolk in the center.
✓ Key Tips for Success
- Reduce the heat before adding the tare sauce: The honey and soy sauce contain sugars that can burn quickly over high heat. Once the pork is browned, turn the heat down to low before adding the sauce so it reduces into a glossy coating without scorching.
- Brown the green onion first: Instead of cooking the green onion together with the pork from the beginning, brown it first in oil over medium heat. This infuses the oil with its aroma and helps balance the richer flavor of the pork belly.
✓ Serving Tips
- Add plenty of seasoned roasted seaweed over warm rice, then mix the pork and egg yolk together before eating. The creamy yolk softens the salty intensity of the tare sauce and gives the rice bowl a smoother, richer flavor.
- For a cleaner, pleasantly spicy finish, add a small amount of shichimi togarashi or thinly sliced Cheongyang chili pepper according to your preference.
- For extra crunch and acidity, serve the bowl with thinly shredded pickled ginger or pickled yellow radish. Their crisp texture helps balance the richness of the pork belly.
✓ How to Choose Good Pork Belly
- Meat and fat color: Look for pork with a clear pale pink to reddish-pink color. The fat should be milky white, firm, and evenly textured.
- Firmness and surface condition: Fresh pork should feel springy and return to shape quickly when lightly pressed. Avoid meat with excessive liquid on the surface or a sticky texture.
- Balance of fat and lean meat: Choose pork belly with evenly alternating layers of lean meat and fat. The meat should not look excessively coarse or dry.
✓ Pork Belly Nutrition per 100 g (3.5 oz)
| Nutrient | Amount per 100 g (3.5 oz) |
|---|---|
| Calories | 372.00 kcal |
| Carbohydrates | 0.00 g |
| Protein | 13.90 g |
| Fat | 33.31 g |
| Sodium | 56.00 mg |
Based on 100 g of raw pork belly. Actual nutritional values may vary depending on the breed, cut, product, and cooking method.
Source: Ministry of Food and Drug Safety Food Nutrition Database – Raw Ingredients
✓ Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Q1. Why should I reduce the heat before adding the tare sauce?
The honey and soy sauce in the tare can burn very quickly over high heat. Once the pork has browned, reduce the heat to low before adding the sauce so it can coat the meat without scorching.
Q2. Why does the pork develop a strong odor or turn dry?
This can happen if the green onion is not browned enough to flavor the oil, or if the pork is cooked over high heat for too long after the sauce is added. Brown the green onion first over medium heat, then reduce the sauce briefly over low heat to help keep the pork moist.
Browning the green onion first, then cooking the pork belly with sliced garlic and reducing the tare sauce over low heat gives the meat a savory, subtly spicy-sweet glaze. When mixed with warm rice, seasoned roasted seaweed, and a creamy egg yolk, the bold sauce becomes smoother and more balanced.
This Stamina Don recipe is especially convenient when you want a quick but filling rice bowl for a weeknight meal. With thinly sliced pork belly and a flavorful garlic tare sauce, you can have a satisfying meal ready in about 15 minutes.
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※ This recipe was adapted from a recipe introduced on the YouTube channel “일식예보”. I prepared the dish myself and wrote this post based on the cooking process and results.