Samgyeopsal — Korean Grilled Pork Belly

About This Recipe

Samgyeopsal (삼겹살) — literally 'three-layered flesh', referring to the layers of fat and muscle in pork belly — is the quintessential Korean BBQ experience. There is no marination, no sauce on the meat itself: just thick slices of pork belly grilled directly on a hot ribbed cast-iron griddle, crisping beautifully in their own fat. The experience is as much social ritual as it is meal: the cook (usually the youngest person at the table in Korean tradition) tends the grill, scissors the cooked meat into smaller pieces, and everyone assembles their own ssam wraps with a carefully curated selection of accompaniments. It is best eaten in company, ideally with cold Korean beer or soju.

Ingredients

Serves 4

• 800 gpork belly(skin-on, sliced 5–7mm thick — ask your butcher to slice it)
• 1 headgarlic(separated into cloves, sliced in half)
• 200 gkimchi(aged (well-fermented) is best)
• 1 headbutter lettuce or perilla (kkaennip) leaves(for wrapping)
• 4 tbspssamjang(Korean BBQ dipping paste)
• 2 tbspgochujang
• 1 tbspsesame oil
• 100 gsliced spring onion(for the pajeon salad topping)
• 1 tbspsoy sauce(for spring onion salad)
• 1 tsprice vinegar(for spring onion salad)
• 1 tspgochugaru(for spring onion salad)
• 1 tbspsesame seeds(toasted)

Instructions

1. 1

   Prepare accompaniments

   Make the spring onion salad (pajori): toss sliced spring onion with soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil, gochugaru and sesame seeds. Set aside to wilt slightly. Arrange kimchi, ssamjang, garlic halves and lettuce/perilla on the table.

   Pajori is the spring onion salad that tops the ssam wrap — its fresh, tangy crunch is what ties everything together.

2. 2

   Heat the grill

   Heat a ribbed cast-iron griddle, portable butane grill, or heavy-based frying pan over high heat until very hot — a droplet of water should evaporate instantly. Lightly oil the surface.

3. 3

   Grill the pork

   Lay pork belly slices on the hot grill in a single layer (cook in batches if needed). Cook without moving for 3–4 minutes until the fat renders and the underside is golden and beginning to crisp. Flip and cook the other side for 2–3 minutes. The fat should be crispy, the meat golden-brown.

   Resist moving the pork too early. Let it develop a proper golden crust before turning.

4. 4

   Scissors and grill the garlic

   Use kitchen scissors to cut the grilled pork into bite-sized pieces directly on the grill. Add the halved garlic cloves to the griddle and grill alongside the pork until golden and slightly charred. The garlics are eaten whole in the wrap.

5. 5

   Assemble the ssam wrap

   Place a lettuce or perilla leaf in your palm. Add a piece or two of pork, a small spoonful of ssamjang and/or gochujang, a piece of charred garlic, some kimchi and a pinch of spring onion salad. Fold the leaf around everything and eat in one bite — this is non-negotiable etiquette in Korean BBQ culture.

   The ssam must be one bite. Attempting to take half a ssam is considered uncouth in Korean dining culture.

Variations

• •

  Chadolbaegi: shave beef brisket paper-thin (frozen makes this easier) for a leaner alternative to pork belly.

• •

  Daepateon samgyeopsal: marinate pork in a mixture of grated pear, soy sauce and sesame for a sweeter version.

• •

  Indoor grill version: a quality ribbed cast-iron pan on a domestic hob produces excellent results — make sure your kitchen is well ventilated.

Storage

Cooked pork belly should be eaten immediately. Raw sliced pork can be refrigerated for 2 days, or frozen for 2 months.

Frequently Asked Questions