韩式烤五花肉
Korea's beloved tabletop barbecue: thick slices of pork belly grilled at the table until crisp and golden, then snipped into pieces and wrapped in lettuce with garlic, ssamjang, kimchi and a smear of sesame-salt-and-oil. No marinade needed — it's all about the sizzle, the communal grill and building the perfect ssam (wrap) in your hand. Pure, interactive comfort.
Grill thick slices of unmarinated pork belly on a hot grill plate (at the table or in a pan), turning, until deeply golden and crisp at the edges, then snip into bite-size pieces with scissors. Grill sliced garlic and kimchi alongside. To eat, lay a piece of pork on a lettuce leaf with garlic, a dab of ssamjang, kimchi and a dip in sesame-salt oil, wrap into a parcel, and eat in one bite. Serve with rice.
- No marinade — good pork belly, a hot grill and crisp edges are all you need.
- Grill garlic, kimchi and onions on the same plate to soak up the pork fat.
- It's a build-your-own ssam (wrap): lettuce, pork, garlic, ssamjang and a dip in sesame-salt oil.
Equipment
- Tabletop grill or heavy frying pan
- Kitchen scissors
食材
Pork & grill
- 800 g pork belly, in thick slices
- 1 head garlic, sliced
- Kimchi; sliced onion; mushrooms (optional)
To wrap & dip
- Lettuce leaves and perilla (kkaennip) leaves
- Ssamjang (or gochujang + doenjang)
- Sesame oil with salt and pepper (gireumjang)
- Steamed short-grain rice; sliced green chilli
步骤
- 步骤01
Get a grill plate or heavy pan very hot. No oil needed — the pork renders its own fat.
- 步骤02
Lay the pork belly slices on the hot grill and cook, turning, until deeply golden and crisp at the edges and cooked through, 6–8 minutes. Grill the sliced garlic, onion and some kimchi alongside in the rendered fat.
- 步骤03
Using kitchen scissors (the Korean way), snip the cooked pork into bite-size pieces right on the grill.
- 步骤04
Put out lettuce and perilla leaves, ssamjang, the sesame-salt oil (gireumjang) for dipping, rice, grilled garlic and chilli.
- 步骤05
Lay a lettuce leaf on your palm, add a piece of pork (dipped in the sesame-salt oil), a little rice, grilled garlic, a dab of ssamjang and some kimchi. Wrap into a parcel and eat in one bite. Repeat — that's the joy of it.
Make ahead
Minimal prep — just slice the pork and prep the wraps, sauces and rice ahead. Grill fresh at the table to serve; it's an interactive, cook-as-you-eat meal.
Storage
Best grilled and eaten fresh and hot. Leftover cooked pork keeps 2 days and is great chopped into fried rice or bokkeumbap the next day. Uncooked pork belly keeps as normal; slice it thick for grilling.
Variations
Gochujang samgyeopsal
Marinate the pork in a gochujang-based sauce for a spicy version (then it's closer to dwaeji bulgogi).
With soybean stew
Serve with doenjang-jjigae and lots of banchan for a full Korean BBQ spread.
Wrapped extras
Add grilled mushrooms, kimchi, raw or grilled garlic, and sliced chilli to your ssam.
Serve with
Nutrition per serving
Nutrition values are estimates based on the metric measurements. Adjust as needed.
常见问题
Does samgyeopsal need a marinade?
No — that's the point. Samgyeopsal is plain, thick-cut pork belly grilled fresh, letting the quality of the meat and the crisp, fatty char speak for themselves. The flavour comes at the table from the ssam wrap: ssamjang, garlic, kimchi and the sesame-salt dip. (Marinated pork belly is a different dish.)
What is ssam and ssamjang?
Ssam means 'wrapped' — you wrap the grilled pork in a lettuce (and perilla) leaf with condiments and eat it in one bite. Ssamjang is the thick, savoury dipping/wrapping sauce made from doenjang (soybean paste) and gochujang (chilli paste), often with garlic, sesame and spring onion.
What's the sesame-salt dip?
Gireumjang — sesame oil seasoned with salt and black pepper. You dip the hot grilled pork into it before wrapping. It's simple but essential, adding nutty richness and seasoning to each piece.
Can I make it without a tabletop grill?
Yes — a heavy frying pan or griddle over high heat works well; cook the pork in batches so it crisps rather than steams. A grill pan gives nice char marks. The communal tabletop grill is part of the experience, but the pork tastes just as good from the stove.
What do I serve with samgyeopsal?
The wrap kit (lettuce, perilla, ssamjang, garlic, gireumjang), kimchi, steamed rice and an array of banchan (side dishes). Grilled kimchi, onions and mushrooms on the same plate are classic, and a doenjang stew rounds out a full Korean BBQ meal. Soju or beer to drink.
Cooked this? Rate it.
Real ratings from real cooks. We only show a score once enough of you have weighed in — no fabricated stars.