I missed the third annual Yukjeongdae due to personal reasons, and after nearly three months, I gathered with the members for the fourth Yukjeongdae. While I always run a lot in the name of Yukjeongdae, it remains a Yukjeongdae.
This year's venue was chosen in the Sindang area, taking regional arrangements into account. More specifically, it stayed within Sindang Central Market. Having not been here in a while since Okgyeong's dried fish three years ago, I was thrilled to see them again.
When I entered, the members and a guest arrived first and placed their orders. The menu was simple, and since it was a Yukjeongdae, I ordered the meat ssambap, consisting of stir-fried pork, barley rice, and ssam (wrap).
The meal began with a colorful ssam vegetable dish of lettuce, napa cabbage, cabbage, peppers, angelica root, and kelp, followed by four side dishes, ssamjang (fermented soybean paste), and fermented cutlassfish intestines. While the side dishes were all good, I was overwhelmed by the freshness of the ssam vegetables.
The rice was served in a large bowl, a mix of white and barley rice, one for each person. The owner said he'd make it just barley rice if we wanted. Gochujang and sesame oil were already in the bowl, and various vegetables were spread on the bottom.
The soybean paste stew was served three times for the five of us to share. It wasn't thick, but it wasn't bland either. The savory flavor was slightly spicy, perfect for mixing in the bowl.
The braised pork, the star of the competition, was served in two plates. It was stir-fried to perfection, like a gochujang bulbaek (spicy red pepper paste stew). Aside from the pork and onion, there were no other noticeable ingredients, and it was sprinkled with sesame seeds.
Since braised pork is always delicious, I took a bite right away. It wasn't overly salty or spicy, but rather savory. The lean meat was used, so it wasn't too oily or tender, but the sweet, seasoned stir-fry made it quite tender.
In fact, what took more effort than the stir-fried pork was the barley rice and ssam vegetables. The best combination was the well-mixed barley rice topped with steamed cabbage and pickled cutlassfish, all wrapped in a single bite. The kelp ssam was also excellent.
Although I left the ssam vegetables, I downed some soju and ate the entire bowl and most of the side dishes, making it a satisfying meal that was both delicious and healthy. It seemed the local cuisine shone brighter than the stir-fried pork at this competition.
