[Recipe] The best partner for pork belly! Baek Jong-won's 'Tuna Ssamjang & Freshwater Snail Ssamjang' recipes

Ssamjang refers to gochujang (red chili paste) or doenjang (soybean paste) seasoned with various ingredients. It is typically eaten with ssam (leaf wraps). Well-grilled pork belly wrapped in lettuce and eaten with ssamjang is especially delicious. With its salty flavor, ssamjang cuts through the richness of meat and stimulates the appetite. Various ingredients, such as tuna or freshwater snails, can be mixed into ssamjang. Let's make delicious ssamjang with Baek Jong-won's home-cooking recipes for tuna ssamjang and freshwater snail ssam-bap.

Making 'Tuna Ssamjang' for ssam-bap, Baek Jong-won style

Baek Jong-won's 'Tuna Ssamjang' recipe

Ingredients: 1 can of tuna, 1/2 onion, 1 green onion, 2 Cheongyang chili peppers, 1/2 cup water, red chili powder, minced garlic, 1/2 tbsp sugar, 2 tbsp doenjang, 2 tbsp gochujang

1. Finely chop the green onion and Cheongyang chili peppers, and mince the onion.

2. Open the tuna can and separate the oil.

3. Put the tuna oil in a frying pan, add and sauté the green onion, and then add the onion.

4. Sauté over medium heat until the onion becomes translucent.

5. Add gochujang, doenjang, sugar, garlic, and red chili powder.

6. Pour in half a cup of water, bring to a boil, then add the tuna and sauté.

How to make freshwater snail ssam-bap

Freshwater snail ssam-bap recipe

Ingredients: 1 bowl of freshwater snails, 1/2 onion, 1/2 squash, 3 shiitake mushrooms, 1/2 block of tofu, 3 Cheongyang chili peppers, 1 green onion, 4 tbsp doenjang, 2 tbsp red chili powder, water, 2 tbsp sesame oil

1. Boil water in a pot, boil the freshwater snails for 1 minute, and then strain them through a sieve.

2. Julienne the shiitake mushrooms, squash, Cheongyang chili peppers, onion, and green onion.

3. Mash the tofu.

4. Drizzle sesame oil in a pan and sauté the onion, squash, and mushrooms.

5. After sautéing for 2–3 minutes, add doenjang and red chili powder, then add about one bowl of water and mix well to dissolve.

6. Once the doenjang and red chili powder are well dissolved, add the freshwater snails, green onion, and Cheongyang chili peppers and boil.

7. Finally, add the mashed tofu, mix the seasoning with the tofu, and boil for 3 more minutes to complete the freshwater snail ssamjang.

[FamTimes=Reporter Jung Hee-jung]