These Fried Pork Balls with Sugar Strings are by the none other than Chef Jung Ji Sung—a dish of few ingredients but with amazing complementary flavors.
Culinary Class Wars has me hooked since last year, and during my trip to Korea last November, I had the opportunity to collaborate with Chef Jung Ji Sung, who taught me how to make her viral and iconic dish—Fried Pork Balls with Sugar Strings.
This isn’t your ordinary meatballs!! Just imagine Iberico pork, coated with dried radish leaves, savory sauce, and sugar strings. Unique combo, right?? It was such an honor to be able to learn from her and to be one of the fewer than 10 people who personally tasted the dish. What amazes me the most is that this was literally born from her imagination and creativity, in the middle of the show’s challenge!
Chef Jung Ji Sung, or the “Queen of Dimsum”, is a Korean chef who specializes in Chinese cuisine. She runs the restaurant chain Tian Mi Mi with branches in Gangnam and Hongdae. They serve modern takes on classic Chinese dishes and have become popular among tourists, and deservingly so.
In the show, she may look fierce and intense, but in person, she was very kind, and I was deeply honored to personally witness her culinary skills and creativity. It was captivating to watch her live, and this dish was truly unique and amazing. If you’re like me and want to try something new, then go try this dish out for yourself!
Ingredients You’ll Need
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- Siraegi – This is ready-to-use dried radish leaves, pre-soaked and pre-blanched. She says this is the key to the recipe!
- Iberico Pork Rib – Chef Jung Ji Sung used this expensive cut because of how tender and flavorful it is, but the recipe will also work with pork loin or pork belly.
- Salt and Pepper – To marinate the pork
- Potato Starch – This will help hold the ball together and make it crispy.
- Black Vinegar – For acidity and fruity flavor
- Dark Soy Sauce – For savory flavor and deep color
- Sugar – This will be used both for the sauce and to make the strings.
- Cooking Oil – For frying and for the sugar strings. She uses this instead of water for the sugar strings to give it a firmer texture and better color.
How to Make Fried Pork Balls?
Slice the pork into bite-sized pieces and season it with salt and pepper. Marinate for 24 hours.
Remove dried radish leaves from packaging and squeeze out the water from them. Ensure to do this well so the balls hold together well later. Afterwards, chop the greens.
Chop the pork into bitesize, dust it with potato starch, pack it with radish leaves, and roll it into balls. Afterwards, cover the balls with potato starch.
Heat up the oil on low heat. Once the oil is hot enough, fry the balls for around 6 minutes until white and crispy. The pork should be 80% cooked or medium rare to keep it tender.
Combine black vinegar, dark soy sauce, and sugar (1:1:1 ratio). In a pan on medium heat, add about half a cup of sauce, and let it boil until foaming. Once foaming, add balls to coat. Allow the sauce to reduce and thicken for a couple of minutes, then remove from the pan. Set this aside.
Note: Throughout the cooking, the heat is kept at a low setting to ensure the meat is cooked and the sauce is reduced without burning.
How to Make Sugar Strings?
In a cold pan, add sugar and oil (10:0.1 ratio), then turn the pan to medium-low. In about 2 minutes, the sides and the bottom will liquify and brown, and start mixing. This means the heat is distributing quickly.
Keep mixing for another 4 minutes, and you will see the sugar begin to crystallize. Continue mixing for another 4 minutes, and it will become runny and golden caramel in color.
Warning: Once the sugar has melted, it is going to be extremely hot, even hotter than oil! So handle this carefully!
At this point, you need to work quickly; otherwise, the sugar will just harden. Pour the syrup into a tray and spread it out evenly, swirling it around for 2 minutes to slightly thicken.
Prepare the work station by placing parchment paper on a flat surface. Turn the tray upside down and quickly move it from left to right. At first, it will be big drops of syrup, and as you move from side to side, it will harden and create strands.
Take the balls, cover them with the sugar strands, eat them in one bite, and enjoy!
Check out my other collaborations with other personalities and chefs:
- Hobak Jeon by Sung Si Kyung
- Gireum Tteokbokki by Sung Si Kyung
- Traditional Korean Food by Imokase
- Authentic Carbonara by Chef Fabrizio Ferrari
Make sure to leave a rating, a comment, or tag me on Facebook, Instagram, or Tiktok when you chop them up! Yeobosayo!
Fried Pork Balls with Sugar Strings
Equipment
- Tray
- Parchment Paper
Ingredients
- Siraegi or Dried Radish Leaves
- Iberico Pork Rib
- Potato Starch
- Cooking Oil For frying
- 1 part Black Vinegar
- 1 part Sugar
- 1 prt Dark Soy Sauce
- Sugar Strings Pasi
- 10 parts Sugar
- 1 tablespoon Oil For the sugar strings
Instructions
Marinate the Pork
- Season the pork with salt and pepper and marinate for 24 hours.
Fried Pork Balls
- Squeeze out the water from the siraegi, then chop it up.
- Chop the pork to bitesize pieces, then dust it with potato starch. Wrap it with siraegi and pack it tightly, then coat the balls again with starch.
- Heat up oil on low heat. Once hot, fry the meatballs for around 6 minutes until the color of the crust changes to crispy white.
- Combine black vinegar, sugar, and dark soy sauce.
- Heat up the pan over medium heat and add about 1/2 cup of the sauce, let it foam up, then add the balls, stir to coat for 2 minutes until thickened.
Sugar Strings (Pasi)
- Combine sugar and oil on medium-low heat.
- In 2 minutes, you will start to see the browning on the sides and seeping from the bottom, start mixing.
- Keep mixing for 4 minutes, the sugar will look light brown and crystallized.
- Keep mixing for another 4 minutes, the sugar will become runny and golden amber.
- Once golden brown and runny, move quickly—place the syrup on a tray and spread it out, swirling it around for 2 minutes until slightly thickened.
- Lay parchment paper on the countertop, then turn the tray upside down, moving it from side to side to create sugar strings.
- Wrap the meatballs in the sugar strings, eat it in one bite, and enjoy!
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