Name: Grilled Pork Belly
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 20 min
Yield: 3 servings
Cuisine: Korean
Ingredients: 1 lb Pork belly (thick sliced); 1 head Lettuce leaves (for wrapping); 6 cloves Garlic (sliced); 3 stalks Green onion; 2 tablespoons Soy sauce; 1 tablespoon Rice vinegar; 2 tablespoons Gochujang; 1 teaspoon Sesame oil; ½ teaspoon Salt; ¼ teaspoon Black pepper

Samgyeopsal is less a recipe and more a social format. In Korea it's eaten at the table as a group — everyone grills together, everyone wraps their own, conversations happen across the smoke. The dish becomes secondary to the act of sitting around a fire of meat.

I tried to explain this when a German friend named Lena visited Seoul. She was expecting a restaurant meal where food arrived plated. Instead I brought her to a samgyeopsal place with a grill built into the table and raw pork belly on a plate between us. She watched me lay strips on the grill, flip them when the fat rendered, grill garlic slices on the side, and assemble everything into a lettuce wrap without instructions.

The pork belly doesn't need marinating — it doesn't need anything at all, technically. Salt and pepper, very hot pan, no oil. The fat in the belly is the oil. The key the recipe identifies is thickness: slices around one-third inch thick develop a crispy exterior while staying juicy inside. Thinner and they dry out. Thicker and they don't crisp properly.

The ssamjang (the sauce made by mixing gochujang with sesame oil and vinegar) is what makes the wrap coherent. A bare piece of pork in lettuce is just protein. The ssamjang adds fermented heat, the grilled garlic adds sweetness and bite, and the green onion in soy sauce adds a sharp, vegetal note. One bite contains all of it.

Lena said she'd never eaten a meal that was also a process before. I told her that was samgyeopsal's actual value — the meal is the act of making it together.

Instructions

Slice pork belly into ⅓-inch thick slices if not already pre-sliced. Season both sides with salt and pepper.

Tip: Samgyeopsal is the quintessential Korean BBQ experience. It means "three-layered meat" (skin, fat, meat). Thick slices are traditional.

Make the dipping sauce (ssamjang): mix 2 tablespoons gochujang, 1 teaspoon sesame oil, and 1 tablespoon rice vinegar. Set aside.

Heat a grill pan or heavy skillet over high heat until very hot. No oil needed — pork belly has plenty of fat. Cook the slices for 3-4 minutes per side until golden brown and slightly crispy.

At the same time, grill sliced garlic on the side of the pan until golden. Slice green onion into a bowl with soy sauce for a second dipping option.

To eat: place a lettuce leaf in your hand, add a piece of grilled pork, a dab of ssamjang, a slice of grilled garlic, and wrap it up. Eat in one bite.

Grilled Pork Belly

Samgyeopsal

Prep: 5 minCook: 15 minTotal: 20 minServings: 3

Ingredients

1 lb Pork belly (thick sliced)
1 head Lettuce leaves (for wrapping)
6 cloves Garlic (sliced)
3 stalks Green onion
2 tablespoons Soy sauce
1 tablespoon Rice vinegar
2 tablespoons Gochujang
1 teaspoon Sesame oil
½ teaspoon Salt
¼ teaspoon Black pepper

Instructions

Slice pork belly into ⅓-inch thick slices if not already pre-sliced. Season both sides with salt and pepper.
Make the dipping sauce (ssamjang): mix 2 tablespoons gochujang, 1 teaspoon sesame oil, and 1 tablespoon rice vinegar. Set aside.
Heat a grill pan or heavy skillet over high heat until very hot. No oil needed — pork belly has plenty of fat. Cook the slices for 3-4 minutes per side until golden brown and slightly crispy.
At the same time, grill sliced garlic on the side of the pan until golden. Slice green onion into a bowl with soy sauce for a second dipping option.
To eat: place a lettuce leaf in your hand, add a piece of grilled pork, a dab of ssamjang, a slice of grilled garlic, and wrap it up. Eat in one bite.