History
Samgyeopsal (literally three-layer flesh) refers to the three layers of fat and meat visible in a thick-cut pork belly slice. It became a staple of Korean restaurant culture in the 1980s when refrigeration made fresh pork belly widely available outside rural areas. The dish is inseparable from the social ritual of the Korean grill table: small gas burners or charcoal grills built into every table, shared with a group, the meat cut with scissors when cooked. Jeju Island's heuk dwaeji (black pork) produces a particularly celebrated samgyeopsal: the Jeju black pig, a heritage breed, has higher fat marbling and a distinctive flavour compared to mainland pork.
Make it at home
Yield Serves 4Hands-on 20 minTotal 20 minDifficulty Easy
Ingredients
- 600g thick-cut pork belly (1.5 to 2cm thickness), skin removed
- 20 perilla leaves (or butter lettuce as substitute)
- 8 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
- 2 tablespoons doenjang (fermented soybean paste)
- 1 tablespoon gochujang
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- Salt and sesame oil for dipping
Method
- Make ssamjang by mixing doenjang, gochujang, sesame oil and a small amount of minced garlic. Set aside.
- Place pork belly slices on a hot grill (cast iron pan or barbecue). Cook over high heat until the fat crisps and the meat browns on both sides, about 3 to 4 minutes per side.
- Cut the cooked pork into bite-sized pieces with scissors directly on the grill.
- To eat: place a piece of pork on a perilla leaf, add a slice of garlic, a small amount of ssamjang, then wrap and eat in one bite.
- Dip some pieces into sesame oil mixed with a pinch of salt for a simpler alternative flavour.
Tip from the editors. Do not press the pork down while cooking; let the fat render naturally. The fat cap should be cooked until it crisps before you eat the first piece.
This is the TableJourney editorial recipe, modelled on the canonical bistro / counter version. The first place to try the dish in its city of origin is below.