Samgyeopsal (Korean Grilled Pork Belly)
Local name: 삼겹살 구이
In short: Pork belly slices seared crisp and wrapped in lettuce with garlic, ssamjang and kimchi, Korea's favorite table grill, cooked in a pan at home. It takes about 40 min in total and makes 4 servings.
- Prep
- 20 min
- Cook
- 20 min
- Total
- 40 min
- Servings
- 4
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Calories
- 520 kcal
Samgyeopsal, meaning three-layer meat, is pork belly grilled right at the table. It is what Koreans cook for weekend gatherings, after-work dinners and celebrations. Thick slices sizzle until the fat renders and the edges turn crisp, then get snipped with scissors and wrapped in lettuce with garlic, ssamjang and kimchi. At home a heavy skillet or grill pan does the job well. Open a window, because it is smoky and splattery.
Instructions
- Pat the pork dry and season both sides with the salt and pepper. Leave it for 10 minutes while you set out the lettuce, perilla, ssamjang, chilies and rice.
- Mix the sesame oil, salt and pepper in a small dish for dipping.
- Heat a large heavy skillet over medium-high heat until hot. No oil is needed, since the pork releases its own fat. Lay the slices in a single layer without crowding.
- Cook for 3 to 4 minutes per side, pressing lightly, until deep golden and crisp at the edges and cooked through with no pink. Spoon off excess fat into a heatproof bowl as it collects.
- Add the garlic and kimchi to the pan and cook in the pork fat for 3 minutes, until the garlic is golden and the kimchi is browned in places.
- Snip the pork into bite-size pieces with kitchen scissors. Build each wrap with a lettuce leaf, a perilla leaf, a little rice, a piece of pork, a dab of ssamjang, grilled garlic and kimchi, and eat it in one bite.
Tips
- Choose belly with even stripes of meat and fat. Thicker cuts need a lower heat so the middle cooks through before the outside burns.
- Perilla leaves taste a little minty and anise-like. If you cannot find them, use extra lettuce and a few Thai basil leaves.
Questions and answers
How thick should samgyeopsal slices be?
About 1 cm (3/8 inch). Thinner slices cook fast and turn crisp like bacon, while thicker ones stay juicier but need more time over lower heat.
Can I use bacon instead of pork belly?
Not really. Bacon is cured, smoked and salty, which changes the flavor. Look for fresh, unsmoked pork belly slices at an Asian grocery or ask a butcher to cut it.
What do you serve with samgyeopsal?
Rice, kimchi, ssamjang, garlic and lettuce for wrapping. Many Koreans finish the meal with a stew such as doenjang jjigae or a bowl of cold noodles.
How long does it take to make Samgyeopsal (Korean Grilled Pork Belly)?
About 40 min in total: 20 min of preparation and 20 min of cooking.
How many calories are in Samgyeopsal (Korean Grilled Pork Belly)?
About 520 kcal per serving, with 22 g of protein, 8 g of carbohydrates and 45 g of fat. These values are estimates.
Nutrition per serving
| Calories | 520 kcal |
|---|---|
| Protein | 22 g |
| Carbohydrates | 8 g |
| Fat | 45 g |
| Fiber | 2 g |
| Sugar | 2 g |
| Sodium | 1300 mg |
Estimated values, calculated from the ingredients.
