Samgyeopsal: Grill the Pork Belly, Then Wrap It in a Leaf
The pork belly goes on the grill unseasoned. The flavor comes from what you wrap it with: a leaf, a dab of ssamjang, a little scallion salad, and cooked garlic or onion if you like.
A grill sits in the middle of the table, and pieces of pork belly sizzle as their fat renders and their edges brown. Someone lifts a cooked piece onto a lettuce leaf, adds a little paste and a pinch of dressed scallions, folds the leaf closed and eats it in one bite. Meanwhile the next pieces are already cooking. That is samgyeopsal-gui (삼겹살구이): Korean grilled pork belly, eaten as you cook it.
The Korea Tourism Organization (VISITKOREA) describes this style of meal: at Korean meat restaurants, people gather around a grill set into the table, and grilled meat is eaten as ssam, wrapped in lettuce or perilla leaves with ssamjang and other accompaniments. Samgyeopsal is one of the most widely loved of these grilled meats.
This recipe follows Maangchi's four-serving Samgyeopsal-gui. The pork itself is not marinated. Alongside it you make a scallion salad called pajeori, a ssamjang mixed from doenjang and gochujang, and a platter of leaves and vegetables. You can use a tabletop grill or an ordinary frying pan.
"삼겹살" (samgyeopsal) is used both for the dish and for the cut of meat itself, pork belly. The dish name in full, 삼겹살구이 (samgyeopsal-gui), refers to grilling it.
Ingredients (Serves 4)
Green onion, garlic, sugar, sesame seeds and sesame oil each appear more than once, for different uses. Measure each separately.
This meal contains pork and sesame. Soy sauce, doenjang and gochujang can contain soy and wheat, and the exact ingredients vary by product. Check each label, including any other added ingredients such as seafood, before serving guests with allergies.
Equipment
- A tabletop grill plate or a frying pan
- Two pairs of tongs: one for raw pork only, one for cooked pork and serving
- A clean plate for the cooked pork, separate from the plate that held the raw pork
- A platter for the washed vegetables and leaves
- Bowls for the scallion salad and ssamjang
- A food thermometer, for checking the center of the pork
Choosing Korean Pantry Staples and Substitutes
Doenjang, gochujang and gochugaru are three different things, and each does its own job here. Look for them at Korean grocers or in the international aisle.
| Item | What it is | If you substitute |
|---|---|---|
| Doenjang | Korean fermented soybean paste | Japanese miso differs in saltiness and fermented aroma. The ssamjang will work, but it will not taste the same |
| Gochujang | Korean chili paste | Heat and sweetness vary from product to product, so taste before deciding how much to use |
| Gochugaru | Korean chili flakes | Other chili flakes differ in grain size, aroma and heat. Don't assume a one-for-one swap; add a little and taste |
| Perilla leaves | Korean perilla (kkaennip) | Shiso is a different plant with a different aroma. It can stand in, but it is not the same leaf |
| Green onions | Slender scallions | Thicker onions such as leeks differ in thickness and aroma |
| English cucumber | Long, thin-skinned cucumber | Other cucumbers work, with some difference in moisture and texture |
| Green chili peppers | Fresh green chilies | Heat varies widely by variety. Taste one before deciding how many to add to a wrap |
Ready-made ssamjang is a convenient shortcut. It is a different sauce from the one made here, though, with a different balance of ingredients.
How to Make Samgyeopsal
Make the scallion salad, ssamjang and vegetable platter before the pork goes on the grill. Once the grilling starts, the meal moves at the table: cook, eat, cook the next batch.
Troubleshooting at the Grill
| Problem | Likely cause | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| The pork steams instead of browning | Too many pieces on the grill at once | Cook in smaller batches so the pieces sit in a single layer without touching |
| Some pieces are scorching | They are sitting in a hot spot or in pooled fat | Move the pieces around the grill as they cook, shifting them away from burning areas and pooled fat |
| Brown outside, unsure about the inside | Color alone doesn't show doneness | Check the center with a thermometer and keep cooking until it reaches 75°C for at least 1 minute |
| The scallion salad has gone limp | It was all dressed at once | Dress only what you're about to eat, and add dressing to fresh scallions as the meal goes on |
| The wraps are too hot | Green chilies vary widely in heat | Taste a piece first and add less to each wrap |
Variations and Related Dishes
Samgyeopsal-gui is pork belly grilled without seasoning. Several related Korean dishes are different dishes, not variations of this recipe:
- Spicy stir-fried pork (jeyuk-bokkeum, 제육볶음) and dwaeji bulgogi: the pork is seasoned before it is cooked.
- Bossam: the pork is boiled, then wrapped.
- Jukkumi-samgyeopsal: pork belly cooked with small octopus (jukkumi).
Other home recipes for samgyeopsal use different amounts and accompaniments. SBS Food's four-serving version by Heather Jeong, for example, uses 500g of pork belly cut 1cm thick, cooks it in several batches without overlapping until the fat renders and the meat browns, and wraps it with lettuce, perilla leaves, cucumber, chilies and ssamjang, along with rice and kimchi. It also gives an example of grilling at home on a pan over a portable burner. Treat it as a separate recipe rather than mixing its amounts into this one.
Samgyeopsal at the Korean Table
Samgyeopsal is less a single plate than a way of eating together. VISITKOREA describes Korean meat restaurants where diners sit around a grill built into the table and eat grilled meat as ssam: leaves such as lettuce or perilla, wrapped around meat and ssamjang. Grilled meat is also enjoyed with side dishes, and with stews or fried rice at the same table.
The leaves and accompaniments differ from one home and one restaurant to the next. The lettuce, perilla, ssamjang, scallion salad and cooked garlic in this recipe are one combination, not the only correct one. For more of the country's cooking, browse more dishes from Korea.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the pork marinated?
No. In this recipe the pork belly is grilled unseasoned, and the flavor comes from the ssamjang, scallion salad and vegetables it is wrapped with. Pork that is seasoned before cooking belongs to other dishes, such as dwaeji bulgogi.
What is ssamjang?
It is the thick sauce dabbed into each wrap. Here it is mixed from doenjang, gochujang, green onion, garlic, sesame seeds, sugar and sesame oil, without cooking.
Can I make it in a frying pan?
Yes. The original recipe allows either a grill plate or a pan. Cook the pork in batches without crowding, and turn it until both sides are browned and the center is fully cooked.
What if I can't find sangchu lettuce?
Other leaf lettuces work as wrappers, with some difference in texture and aroma.
Can I use frozen sliced pork belly?
Yes, the original recipe allows frozen sliced pork belly. The grilling rules stay the same: brown both sides and cook the center through.
What should I do with leftovers?
Divide them into shallow containers, cool them quickly and refrigerate. When reheating, heat to at least 75°C as a general guideline.
Sources
- Maangchi, "Grilled pork belly (Samgyeopsal-gui 삼겹살구이)." The recipe followed here: four servings, ingredients and amounts for the pork, scallion salad (pajeori), doenjang-gochujang ssamjang and vegetables, the 5-minute cold-water soak for the scallions, grilling the pork on both sides on a grill or pan, and wrapping in lettuce or perilla leaves. The recipe does not specify grilling time, internal temperature, thickness or storage. https://www.maangchi.com/recipe/samgyeopsal-gui
- Korea Tourism Organization (VISITKOREA), "About Korean Food." Tabletop grilling at Korean meat restaurants, ssam as meat and ssamjang wrapped in lettuce or perilla leaves, samgyeopsal as a widely loved grilled pork belly dish, and grilled meat enjoyed with side dishes, stews or fried rice. https://english.visitkorea.or.kr/svc/contents/contentsView.do?menuSn=903&vcontsId=229195
- Heather Jeong, "Grilled pork belly barbecue (samgyupsal)," SBS Food. A separate four-serving recipe, used here only for comparison: 500g pork belly cut 1cm thick, grilling in batches without overlapping, ssam with rice and kimchi, and grilling at home on a portable burner. https://www.sbs.com.au/food/recipe/grilled-pork-belly-barbecue-samgyupsal/qanp1dkju
- Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (Japan), "家庭でできる食中毒予防の６つのポイント" (Six points for preventing food poisoning at home). General home guidance: heating food to 75°C at the center for at least 1 minute, keeping raw meat away from cooked food, cooling leftovers in shallow containers, and reheating to at least 75°C. https://www.mhlw.go.jp/stf/seisakunitsuite/bunya/kenkou_iryou/shokuhin/syokuchu/01_00006.html
