Korea · 45 min · Meat · Main course · For beginners
Samgyeopsal Gui
In German: Gegrillter Schweinebauch · In English: Grilled Pork Belly
For 4 servings · US units
Crispy pork belly off the tabletop grill, wrapped in lettuce with a dab of ssamjang
Samgyeopsal gui is the kind of grilling where everyone joins in: the pork belly sizzles away on a grill plate right in the middle of the table, and you eat it straight off the heat. Each piece gets wrapped in a lettuce or perilla leaf with a dab of ssamjang, some scallion salad and a slice of garlic. Add a bowl of rice and a little kimchi, and a fun grill night turns into a proper meal.
Ingredients
- 1⅔ lbPork bellyrindless or scored, cut into thin slices
- 8Scallionsmostly finely shredded for the scallion salad, one chopped for the dip
- 9 clovesGarlic1 clove minced for the dip, the rest sliced for grilling or eating raw in the wraps
- 3 tbspKorean soybean paste, for the ssamjang dipKorean fermented soybean paste, dark, coarse and strongly salty with a deep, earthy flavour.Substitute: Dark, robust miso comes closest, but it is milder, sweeter and smoother; use a little more and add it towards the end of cooking. It does not quite reach the pungent, deep fermented note of doenjang.Read more
- 1 tbspKorean chili paste, for the ssamjang dipKorean chili paste made from glutinous rice, fermented soybeans, chili powder and salt, thick, hot, salty and faintly sweet.Substitute: There is no real substitute, because the fermented depth and the sticky sweetness together carry the dish. As a stopgap, light miso paste stirred with Korean chili powder or other mild chili flakes and a little honey or sugar roughly matches the salt, heat and sweetness, but tastes flatter and less rounded. Chili sauces such as sriracha are too thin and too sour and change the dish noticeably.Read more
- 2 tbspSoy saucelight, for the scallion salad dressing
- 1 tbspKorean chili flakes, for the dressingKorean chili flakes made from sun-dried red chilies, ground coarse or fine. Bright red, fruity, mild to medium hot and slightly smoky.Substitute: The closest match is Aleppo pepper (pul biber) from a Turkish grocery, which is similarly fruity and mild but oilier, often salted and slightly tangier. In a pinch, mix sweet paprika with a little cayenne; this roughly matches colour and heat but not the fruitiness or texture. Ordinary crushed red pepper flakes are too hot to use in the usual quantities.Read more
- 2 tspSugarhalf for the dressing, half for the dip; honey works in the dip
- 2 tbsptoasted, for dressing, dip and the salt-sesame oil dipping bowlsDark oil pressed from toasted sesame seeds, with a strong, nutty, roasted aroma; usually added at the end in small amounts as a seasoning.Substitute: There is no real substitute, as no other oil carries the roasted aroma; at a pinch, a neutral oil with freshly pan-toasted, crushed sesame seeds helps, though the flavour stays clearly weaker.Read more
- 1 tbspSesame seedstoasted, for dressing and dip
- ½ tspSaltfor the sesame oil dip
- Black pepperfreshly ground, for the sesame oil dip
- 1lettucehead, leaves separated, washed and dried, for wrapping
- 16for wrapping, shiso as substitute (optional)Large, serrated leaves of Korean perilla, a plant of the mint family, strongly aromatic with a note somewhere between mint, anise and fresh grass.Substitute: There is no equivalent substitute. Japanese shiso, a related variety, comes closest, but it is smaller, more delicate and tastes brighter and more lemony. For wrapping you can fall back on lettuce leaves, but then the very aroma that defines the dish is missing.Read more
- 4sliced, raw or grilled alongside (optional)A fresh chili picked unripe, grassy and bright, ranging from mild to very hot depending on the variety.Substitute: For the mild variety, use long green peppers or mild green peppers such as Italian frying peppers; for the hot one, jalapeño or serrano. The fresh character stays the same, and you only need to adjust the amount for heat.Read more
- 1Carrotcut into thin sticks, as a side (optional)
- 1Cucumbercut into sticks, as a side (optional)
- 7 ozas a side (optional)Lacto-fermented napa cabbage with chilli, garlic, ginger and usually fish sauce, sour, spicy and savoury.Substitute: There is no true substitute: sauerkraut with chilli flakes, garlic and a dash of fish sauce matches the sourness, but neither the depth of flavour nor the crisp bite. With some time to spare, making your own kimchi is the better route.Read more
Method
- Prep the scallionsFinely chop one scallion and set it aside for the dip. Cut the rest into fine shreds, soak them in cold water for 5 minutes, then drain them well.
- Mix the dressingFor the dressing, stir together the soy sauce, gochugaru, half the sugar, a little sesame oil and some of the sesame seeds. Only pour it over the shredded scallions just before serving so they stay crisp.
- Stir up the ssamjangFor the ssamjang, stir the doenjang, gochujang, one finely minced garlic clove, the chopped scallion, the remaining sugar (or a little honey), a little sesame oil and the rest of the sesame seeds until smooth. If it's too thick, loosen it with a splash of water.
- Prep leaves and vegetablesWash the lettuce and perilla leaves, let them crisp up briefly in cold water, then dry them well. Slice the remaining garlic and the green chilies, and cut the cucumber and carrot into thin sticks.
- Set out the dipping bowlsSet out a small bowl for each person with salt, freshly ground black pepper and a little sesame oil.
- Slice pork, heat the grillCut the pork belly into thin slices and lightly score any thicker pieces. Get your tabletop grill, grill plate or a heavy pan nice and hot over medium-high heat.
- Grill the pork belly crispLay the meat on in batches and don't flip it until the underside is golden brown. Cook both sides until crisp, and if you like, grill some of the garlic and chili slices right alongside.
- Snip the pork and dig inSnip the grilled pork belly into bite-sized pieces with kitchen scissors right on the grill and eat it straight away while the next batch is already sizzling.
- Wrap it up and enjoyTo eat, hold a lettuce or perilla leaf in your hand, add a piece of pork, some scallion salad, ssamjang, vegetables and garlic, wrap it all up and eat it in one bite; if you like, dip the meat in the salt and sesame oil bowl first.
Tips and variations
If you want more punch, marinate the pork belly for at least 2 hours in gochujang, soy sauce and mirin, or for just 30 to 60 minutes in sesame oil, soy sauce, rice wine, garlic and scallions. No tabletop grill? Try the oven version: rub the meat with a doenjang and honey paste, roast it and serve it with an onion salad instead of the scallion salad. You can also dress the scallion salad with fish sauce instead of soy sauce, and mushrooms are great on the grill too. Put rice and kimchi on the table from the start and grill the meat in small batches so every piece arrives hot and crisp.
Allergens
Contains: Cereals containing gluten, Sesame, Soybeans
These notes follow from this recipe's ingredient list. Ready-made products and brands may contain further allergens — please check the packaging yourself.
Something not right?
This recipe was put together from independent sources and checked before publishing. Even so, a mistake can slip through — an amount that does not add up, a step that does not work as written. If you spot something, write to us: we will look into it and put it right.
