Sizzling Samgyeopsal Feast
Thick slices of unmarinated pork belly grilled tableside until the fat renders to a golden crisp and the meat turns irresistibly smoky and tender. Wrapped in perilla leaves with garlic, grilled kimchi, and a smear of ssamjang, each lettuce bundle is a perfectly orchestrated bite of Korean barbecue bliss.
Ingredients
- 2 lbs thick-cut pork belly, sliced into 1/3-inch strips
- 1 head green leaf lettuce, leaves separated
- 1 bunch perilla leaves (sesame leaves)
- 8 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
+ 9 more ingredients
Instructions
Remove the pork belly from the refrigerator 15 minutes before cooking. Pat each slice dry with paper towels for better searing.
Prepare the banchan spread: arrange lettuce leaves, perilla leaves, sliced garlic, ssamjang, and the sesame oil dipping sauce on a large platter alongside steamed rice.
Heat a grill pan, tabletop grill, or cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat until very hot. No oil is needed as the pork belly will render its own fat.
Lay the pork belly slices on the hot surface without overlapping. Cook undisturbed for 3-4 minutes until the bottom is deeply golden and the fat begins to render.
Flip and cook the other side for 3-4 minutes. The edges should be crispy and the fat should be translucent and rendered.
While the pork cooks, grill the sliced garlic and aged kimchi alongside it in the rendered pork fat until the garlic is golden and the kimchi is charred and caramelized.
Use scissors to cut the cooked pork belly into bite-sized pieces directly on the grill.
To eat, take a lettuce leaf, add a perilla leaf, place a piece of pork belly on top, add a dab of ssamjang, a piece of grilled garlic, some grilled kimchi, and a small spoonful of rice.
Wrap it all into a bundle and eat in one glorious bite. Alternatively, dip the pork in the sesame-salt sauce before wrapping.
Nutrition Estimate
Per serving • Estimated by Blinner AI