Korean-Style Rice Bowls with Caramelized Pork and Avocado

Ingredients

• Rice

  • 1 1/2 cups (325 g) Calrose rice (sushi rice)
  • 1 3/4 cups (430 ml) water
  • 1/4 tsp salt

• Marinated Vegetables

  • 3 tbsp (45 ml) rice vinegar
  • 3 tbsp (45 ml) mirin
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 3 Nantes carrots, thinly sliced on an angle
  • 3 Lebanese cucumbers, halved lengthwise, each half cut into 1/2-inch (1 cm) slices on an angle

• Pork

  • 3 tbsp (45 ml) fermented chili paste (gochujang)
  • 2 tbsp (30 ml) mirin
  • 2 garlic cloves, finely grated
  • 1 tbsp fresh ginger, finely grated
  • 1 tbsp (15 ml) low-sodium soy sauce
  • 1 tbsp (15 ml) toasted sesame oil
  • 1 lb (450 g) lean ground pork
  • 1 tbsp (15 ml) vegetable oil

• Toppings

  • 2 avocados, ripe but firm, sliced
  • 1 green onion, thinly sliced
  • Roasted sesame seeds, to taste