The BEST Korean batter recipe ever: How to make fried pork bits

After living in Asia for a while, I had really started digging the crispiness of the batters that you can get here.  I started wok frying.  Don’t be afraid!  Wok frying is actually pretty easy once you face your fears.  I found a batter I could buy from Korea that was absitively, posilutely  the BOMB Korean batter recipe.  Life was good.  I then moved to a new city, and could not, for the life of me, find it, or anything like it.  I asked some Korean friends and got this recipe.  In my mind, it comes from some knowledgeable old Korean lady (but most likely is from the internet).  It was actually a BETTER BATTER than I was buying.  Here’s the BEST Korean batter recipe ever, and below, my yummy pork bits.

The BEST Korean Batter recipe ever

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup all-purpose bleached or unbleached flour
• 2/3 cup cornstarch
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
• 3/4 cup cold water

 Wok Fried Yummy Pork Bits

1. Thinly slice a small pork loin or any other roast.  Chicken or beef work well too.  I usually slice a piece, then slice in 2 to make wide strips, although you can keep them big if you want.
2. Lightly marinade the meat.  I usually use a little soy, and dry chicken bouillon, and pepper.  I don’t use salt because of the salinity of the soy and chicken powder.  Make sure not to over do it, you don’t want the meat wet.
3. Dredge the meat in the batter.  You can add the whole pile, or do it a strip at a time.  Make sure it is well covered.
4. Most people recommend to heat the oil to somewhere between 350 degrees and 375 degrees Fahrenheit. (Partly this depends on the size of the food being cooked, as larger items can be deep-fried at a lower temperature). I prefer 375-400 degrees, as this will flash fry and keep it from getting too greasy.  Remember, the temperature will drop slightly when you put in the meat.
5. Carefully slide in the meat, away from you.  This will prevent splattering. Also, add ingredients in small amounts and don’t overcrowd the wok. Overcrowding will lower the temperature and may lead to splattering or spillage.
6. Move the bits around after about 30 seconds, and turn as necessary.  I use a large metal slotted spoon to move and remove.  Fry until golden brown.
7. Remove the bits, and place on a rack or paper towel.
8. Enjoy with your favorite sauce or dip!

Optional:  When they are finished cooking, you can also toss them in sauce.  The great thing about this batter is that it will stay fairly crispy.  Sweet chili would work, or BBQ, or jalapeno jam, or…

At our house, we actually made a big batch to store and for quick use.  Here’s the multiplied (x6) version.

Ingredients

• 3 cups all-purpose bleached or unbleached flour
• 4 cups cornstarch
• 9 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 and 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 3 teaspoons pepper
• 9 teaspoons sugar
• Add water to desired thickness