Korean Gochujang-Glazed Grilled Zucchini and Pork with Perilla Rice

Whisk the gochujang, soy sauce, sesame oil, honey, rice vinegar, garlic and ginger together in a bowl until completely smooth. Spoon off and reserve a third of the glaze for finishing.

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 1 1/4 pounds pork shoulder, sliced 1/4-inch thick
• 3 medium zucchini, cut lengthwise into 1/2-inch planks
• 3 tablespoons gochujang (Korean chili paste)
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
• 4 cloves garlic, finely grated
• 1 tablespoon finely grated fresh ginger
• 2 cups short-grain white rice
• 10 fresh perilla leaves, stacked and shredded (or shiso)
• 3 scallions, thinly sliced on the bias
• 2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds
• Neutral oil, for the grill

Instructions

1. Whisk the gochujang, soy sauce, sesame oil, honey, rice vinegar, garlic and ginger together in a bowl until completely smooth. Spoon off and reserve a third of the glaze for finishing.
2. Toss the sliced pork with the remaining glaze until every piece is coated, then cover and marinate at room temperature for 30 minutes, or refrigerate up to 4 hours for deeper flavor.
3. Rinse the rice under cold water until the water runs nearly clear, then cook it by your usual method. When it is done, fluff it and fold in half the shredded perilla so the leaves wilt in the residual steam.
4. Heat a grill or grill pan to medium-high and oil the grates well — the sugar in the glaze wants to stick.
5. Grill the zucchini planks first, 3 to 4 minutes per side, until they carry deep char marks but still have a little bite at the center. Move them to a platter and brush with a spoonful of the reserved glaze.
6. Grill the marinated pork in a single layer, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Watch it closely: the glaze caramelizes fast and goes from beautifully lacquered to bitter in under a minute.
7. Pile the perilla rice into bowls, top with the grilled zucchini and pork, then drizzle over the last of the reserved glaze.
8. Finish with the remaining shredded perilla, the sliced scallions and a heavy scatter of toasted sesame seeds. Serve hot, with cold barley tea if you have it.
9. Perilla, or kkaennip, is one of the great underrated Korean herbs — broader and more assertive than its Japanese shiso cousin, with a minty, faintly anise edge that cuts straight through rich pork. Korean home cooks use it constantly in high summer, wrapping grilled meat in whole leaves the way others use lettuce. Zucchini, or hobak, hits its stride at exactly the same moment, and grilling it in thick planks rather than coins keeps the interior creamy while the outside chars. The result is the kind of dinner that tastes elaborate but comes together in the time it takes rice to cook.

Nutrition (estimated, per serving)

• Calories: 648 kcal
• Protein: 36g
• Fat: 26g
• Carbohydrates: 68g
• Fiber: 4g
• Sugar: 12g
• Sodium: 980mg