Smoked Gouda and Gochujang Breakfast Strata with Crispy Pork Belly

Instructions

1. 1

   Cut the pork belly into small cubes. Place them in a cold frying pan and cook over medium-low heat until crispy and rendered. Remove the pork belly with a slotted spoon and set aside on paper towels to drain. Reserve about 2 tablespoons of the rendered pork fat.

   ~20 min
2. 2

   Cut the crusty bread into 1-inch cubes and place them in a large bowl.

   ~5 min
3. 3

   In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, heavy cream, gochujang, minced garlic, soy sauce, sesame oil, black pepper, and salt until well combined. This is your custard base.

   ~5 min
4. 4

   Pour the custard mixture over the bread cubes, ensuring all pieces are coated. Let it soak for at least 30 minutes, or up to overnight in the refrigerator.

   ~30 min
5. 5

   Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 9x13 inch baking dish with some of the reserved pork fat or butter.

6. 6

   Gently fold in the shredded smoked Gouda cheese and most of the crispy pork belly into the bread and custard mixture. Reserve some pork belly for garnish.

   ~2 min
7. 7

   Pour the mixture into the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle the reserved crispy pork belly and sliced green onions over the top.

   ~3 min
8. 8

   Bake for 45-55 minutes, or until the strata is puffed up, golden brown, and a knife inserted into the center comes out clean. If the top starts to brown too quickly, you can loosely tent it with aluminum foil.

   ~50 min
9. 9

   Let the strata rest for at least 10 minutes before slicing and serving. This allows it to set properly.

   ~10 min