A convivial Korean classic where pork belly is grilled at the table until it becomes golden, juicy, and crispy around the edges. It is wrapped in lettuce leaves with garlic, kimchi, ssamjang, and a sesame-salt dip.
Ingredients
- 900 g thick-sliced skinless fresh pork belly
- 16 leaves romaine or Batavia lettuce leaves
- 12 leaves fresh perilla leaves, if available
- 300 g Napa cabbage kimchi
- 120 g ssamjang
- 600 g cooked short-grain white rice
- 4 cloves garlic
- 2 pieces mild green chilies or Korean gochu peppers
- 2 pieces scallions
- 3 tbsp toasted sesame oil
- 1 tsp fine salt
- 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
Method
- Take the pork belly out of the refrigerator, pat it thoroughly dry, and let it come slightly to room temperature while the accompaniments are prepared; the surface must be very dry to the touch.
- Wash and spin dry the lettuce and perilla leaves, then arrange them on a large platter; they must remain whole and crisp to act as wrappers.
- Slice the garlic, green chilies, and scallions, then present them separately with the kimchi, ssamjang, and hot rice so everyone can build their own bites.
- Mix the toasted sesame oil, salt, and pepper in small dipping bowls; the dip should have a prominent toasted sesame aroma and a distinctly salty upfront flavor.
- Heat a large cast-iron skillet, plancha, or tabletop grill over high heat until a slice of pork sizzles immediately upon contact.
- Place the pork belly slices on the cooking surface without overcrowding and let them grill without moving them until the underside is deeply golden and the fat starts to render.
- Flip the slices, continue cooking until the edges are crispy and the meat is cooked through, then cut the pieces into bite-sized chunks directly in the pan, preferably using kitchen shears.
- Briefly brown the cut sides of the pieces in their own fat, adding a little kimchi to the side of the pan if you want to serve it hot and slightly caramelized.
- Serve immediately: take a leaf, add rice, pork, ssamjang, garlic, chili, scallion, and kimchi, then fold into a compact bite to be eaten in one mouthful.
Nutrition
Per serving
- Energy
- 833.4 kcal
- Protein
- 49.28 g
- Carbohydrate
- 52.63 g
- Fat
- 47.4 g
- Fibre
- 3.93 g
- Calcium
- 24.05 mg
- Iron
- 1.34 mg
- Magnesium
- 39.24 mg
