In a medium bowl combine gochujang, soy sauce, mirin, sugar, sesame oil, rice vinegar, minced garlic, grated ginger, and gochugaru. Whisk until smooth. Taste and adjust heat or sweetness to preference.

Reserve about 3 tablespoons of the sauce for finishing (set aside). Use the remainder to marinate the pork briefly.

Pork & Vegetables

Prepare pork

Place the thinly sliced pork in a bowl and pour the marinade (all but the reserved 3 tbs). Toss to coat evenly and let sit 10–15 minutes at room temperature (or up to 1 hour in the fridge). If slices are thick, marinate 30 minutes.

Prep vegetables

While pork marinates, slice the onion, julienne the carrot, thinly slice the red bell pepper, slice garlic cloves, and cut green onions on a bias. Keep vegetables separate so they can be added in stages.

Cooking & Finish

Heat pan

Heat a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat until hot. Add 1 tablespoon vegetable oil and swirl to coat.

Cook aromatics

Add the sliced garlic and half the sliced onion to the pan. Stir-fry 30–45 seconds until fragrant and slightly softened, taking care not to burn the garlic.

Stir-fry pork

Increase heat to high. Add the marinated pork in a single layer (work in batches if necessary to avoid overcrowding). Stir-fry 3–5 minutes until the pork is mostly cooked and starting to brown.

Add vegetables

Add the remaining onion, carrot, and red bell pepper. Stir-fry 2–3 minutes until vegetables are tender-crisp.

Finish with reserved sauce

Pour the reserved 3 tablespoons of sauce and the 50 ml water (or stock) into the pan to deglaze and form a glossy sauce. Stir and cook 1–2 minutes until sauce thickens slightly and coats the pork and vegetables. Taste and season with salt and black pepper as needed.

Add green onions & sesame

Stir in sliced green onions and drizzle the sesame oil (if additional) or sprinkle toasted sesame seeds. Toss once, then remove from heat.

Assemble bento

Divide warm cooked rice among 4 bento portions. Spoon the spicy pork and vegetable mixture over or beside the rice. Add pickled vegetables or kimchi to each box. Sprinkle additional sesame seeds and a few extra sliced green onions for garnish. Let cool slightly before sealing bento containers if packing.