Jokbal-Style Pork Shank Suyuk Recipe [Korean Food]

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Today’s recipe is a Korean pork shank suyuk (suyu-k, Korean boiled pork) that captures the aromatic flavor of jokbal — Korea’s beloved braised pig trotters — using pork shank instead. The Jokbal-Style Pork Shank Suyuk keeps the characteristic chewy texture of the shank, carries just enough fat for a satisfying bite, and because the whole method is essentially simmer-then-glaze, it doesn’t ask for much hands-on time. Let me walk through the recipe.

Table of Contents

📋 At a Glance

Dish: Jokbal-Style Pork Shank Suyuk (Korean jokbal-flavored boiled pork)
Servings: approx. 4–6 (based on 1.6 kg pork shank)
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: approx. 1 hour (30-min simmer on medium + 10-min seasoning stage + final pan glaze)
Key ingredients: 1.6 kg pork shank, dark soy sauce (laochou) 3 tbsp, star anise × 3, cloves × 3, soy sauce 150 ml, water 1.5 L, mirin 150 ml
Notes: jokbal-style spiced soy broth, starch-based pan glaze for a glossy finish
Storage: refrigerate in an airtight container with broth, up to 3–4 days
Verdict: ★4.5 — A rewarding one-hour recipe with tender, flavorful pork that needs no dipping sauce

Ingredients for Jokbal-Style Pork Shank Suyuk

Rinse the 1.6 kg pork shank under running water and set aside. For aromatics, I used ginger, garlic, green onion (scallion), and onion. Whole black peppercorns are also a good addition. Ginger can be omitted if you prefer.

[Base Ingredients]

Pork shank for suyuk, 1.6 kg
Water 1.5 L, mirin 150 ml
Bay leaves × 3, star anise × 2–3
Cloves × 2–3, fresh ginger × 2 slices
Whole black peppercorns ½ tbsp, garlic × 10 cloves
Dark soy sauce (laochou / noduyu) 3 tbsp
Green onion × 1 stalk, onion × 1

[Seasoning Ingredients]

Soy sauce 150 ml
Salt 1 tbsp, MSG ½ tbsp
Starch syrup (mul-yeot) 4 tbsp, sugar 5 tbsp

Star anise and cloves give this recipe its signature jokbal-style herbal depth. They can smell a little medicinal, so feel free to leave them out if you dislike strong spices — but I recommend including them if possible. The dark soy sauce (laochou) is there purely for color.

Recipe Summary

Rinse 1.6 kg pork shank under running water and trim into pieces that will be easy to slice after cooking.
Place 3 bay leaves, 3 star anise, 3 cloves, 2 slices of ginger, ½ tbsp whole peppercorns, and 10 garlic cloves into a soup spice bag (or add directly to the pot). Slice or fold the green onion stalk. Trim the root and top off the onion and add whole.
Place the pork in a large pot. Add all spices except the green onion and onion. Pour in 1.5 L water, 3 tbsp dark soy sauce, and 150 ml mirin. Begin simmering over high heat.
Once the broth reaches a rolling boil, maintain for 2–3 minutes, then reduce to medium heat to prevent the liquid from burning off too quickly.
Add the green onion and whole onion. Simmer for 30 minutes.
After 30 minutes, remove all spices, green onion, and onion. Skim off any impurities from the broth with a skimmer or spoon.
Add to the broth: 150 ml soy sauce, 1 tbsp salt, ½ tbsp MSG, 4 tbsp starch syrup, 5 tbsp sugar. Stir well and simmer for another 10 minutes.
In a wide pan, ladle in about 2.5 large ladles of broth and heat over medium until just starting to simmer. Dissolve 2 tsp cornstarch in a small amount of broth, then add 800 g of cooked pork and reduce briefly to coat in a glossy glaze. Baste the pork as you cook.
Slice the finished pork into serving-size pieces and plate.

🍖 Avoid overcooking the shank in the initial simmering stage — it will fall apart.
🧄 Adjust the aromatics to your taste and the size of the meat.

🌿 Prep time: 15 minutes
🍳 Cook time: 1 hour

Preparing the Ingredients

Let me walk through the prep quickly. For jokbal-style cooking, a soup spice bag is handy to hold the dry spices — but you can also add them directly to the pot without any problem.

Start with 3 bay leaves, 3 star anise, 3 cloves, 2 ginger slices, ½ tbsp whole peppercorns, and 10 garlic cloves. Scale these up or down depending on the size of your pork and personal preference.

Wash the green onion stalk, then either slice it into sections or simply fold it in half with your hands — either works fine.

For the onion, just trim the root end and the top, then drop it in whole — easier to fish out later.

Loading the Pot

The pork shank trim is minimal: the cut has almost no bone to work around and very little connective tissue membrane, so just roughly portion it into pieces you’ll be able to slice easily after cooking.

Choose a pot large enough to hold all the pork comfortably, then layer the meat in.

Add all the spices except the green onion and onion, then pour in 1.5 L of water. Adjust the water level so the pork is just about submerged.

Add the 3 tbsp dark soy sauce and 150 ml mirin, then set to simmer immediately. It really doesn’t take much work at all at this stage.

Cooking the Pork Shank Suyuk

Once the broth comes to a rolling boil, keep the heat high for 2–3 minutes, then turn it down to medium. If the heat stays too high, the liquid reduces and risks scorching.

Add the green onion stalk and whole onion, and continue simmering for 30 minutes. You can add them at the very start if you prefer — it makes no significant difference.

After 30 minutes, remove all the spices, green onion, and onion. Skim off any foam or impurities from the surface of the broth with a skimmer or spoon.

Check that the meat is sufficiently cooked through. Now for the seasoning stage.

Adding the Seasoning and the Final Starch Glaze

Add 150 ml soy sauce, 1 tbsp salt, ½ tbsp MSG, 4 tbsp starch syrup, and 5 tbsp sugar to the broth. Stir to combine, then simmer for another 10 minutes.

At this stage the suyuk is already done — you can slice and serve it immediately, or transfer it to a clean food container with some broth and rest it before serving. Still, I want to add one more step that makes a real difference.

In a wide pan, ladle in about 2.5 large ladles of the seasoned broth and heat over medium until it just begins to bubble. Since the broth is already hot, it will get there quickly.

Dissolve 2 tsp cornstarch in a small amount of the broth, stir it into the pan, then add 800 g of the cooked pork. Reduce over medium heat while continuously basting the meat with the sauce until it takes on a beautiful glaze.

The transformation is visible: the pork lifts out with a glossy, lacquered surface, quite different from the unglazed version. Because the seasoning is worked in, no dipping sauce is needed at all.

After nearly an hour of simmering, the meat will be very tender. Don’t worry if pieces break apart slightly — just cut into generous chunks and arrange on the plate.

Jokbal-Style Pork Shank — Finished Gallery

Finished: Jokbal-Style Pork Shank Suyuk

Here’s the finished jokbal-style pork shank suyuk. A gentle jokbal aroma without any gamey smell, and a generous amount of lean meat — it works beautifully as both a drinking snack and a full meal.

That final pan-glazing step means the soy-based seasoning clings to every piece, so no additional dipping sauce is necessary — anyone who tries it will find it satisfying on its own.

About an hour of total time, minimal active effort, and no special cooking skill required — it genuinely earns a recommendation. Once you’ve made it the first time, you’ll find yourself coming back to this style of recipe again and again. For travelers visiting Korea, jokbal is one of the country’s most iconic after-hours snack foods; if you want to recreate the flavor at home with a more accessible cut, this is the method.

For background on jokbal’s history and the origins of its soy-spice braising style, see the Wikipedia article on Jokbal.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q. What is pork shank (sataessal), and where can I buy it?

Pork shank (sataessal) is the lower leg muscle of the pig — lean, slightly sinewy, and packed with collagen, which gives it a pleasantly chewy texture after long simmering. In Korean it’s often sold labeled as “sataessal for suyuk” (suyuk-style shank). Outside Korea, look for pork shank or pork shin at Asian grocery stores or any butcher that carries whole leg cuts. The weight used here is 1.6 kg, which comfortably serves 4 to 6 people.

Q. Can I skip the star anise and cloves?

Yes, both can be omitted. They provide the medicinal herbal depth that gives this recipe its jokbal character, but the base pork flavor holds up without them. Bay leaves, whole peppercorns, garlic, green onion, and onion alone are enough to neutralize any gamey smell and build a solid broth. Without the dark soy sauce, the color will be lighter.

Q. How do I store and reheat leftovers?

Store in an airtight container with some of the broth, refrigerated, for up to 3–4 days. Keeping it in the broth prevents the meat from drying out and maintains the flavor. To reheat, microwave directly or add a splash of broth to a pan and warm over low heat — the texture will be close to freshly made.

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