Pork Belly Slices – Korean Samgyeopsal
There’s something magical about cooking pork belly slices over charcoal — the smell of the fat dripping onto the coals, the sizzle as it hits the hot grid, and that irresistible combination of crisp edges and juicy centres. For this cook, we kept it simple, letting the meat speak for itself, then serving it in soft tortilla wraps that we quickly puffed up on the grill. The tortillas char slightly and blister in seconds, adding a lovely smokiness. A smear of punchy ssamjang, a little kimchi, some fresh lettuce, and you’ve got the perfect hand-held bite — rich, tangy, and straight from the fire.
Serves 4
Cooking surfaces
BBQ Temperature
Ingredients
- 900g pork belly slices, skin removed, 5–7 mm thick
- 2 tsp fine sea salt
- 1 tsp white pepper (optional)
- Tortilla wraps (optional)
For ssam (the wraps):
- 2 little gem/romaine lettuces, leaves separated
- 200g kimchi, chopped
- 1 cucumber, julienned
- Steamed rice (optional)
Ssamjang dip (mix):
- 2tbsp doenjang (soybean paste)
- 1 tbsp gochujang
- 1 tbsp runny honey
- 1 tbsp toasted sesame oil
- 1 tbsp rice vinegar
- 1 tsp minced garlic
- 1 tsp toasted sesame seeds
Spring onion salad (pa-muchim):
- 6 spring onions (finely shredded lengthways)
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1 tsp sesame oil
- 1 tsp rice vinegar
- pinch salt
- pinch chilli flakes
Method
- Prep your Big Green Egg: Light your Egg and set it up for a direct cook with your cast iron searing grid. Set the Egg to 220°C.
- Make the dips: Stir together ssamjang ingredients. Toss the spring onion salad ingredients and set aside.
- Prep pork: Pat slices very dry. Lightly score any surface fat with shallow cross-hatches. Season with salt (and white pepper if using).
- Grill hot & fast: Lay slices flat over direct heat. Cook 2–3 min per side, flipping every minute to manage rendering and flare-ups. Move to a cooler zone if needed.
- Target doneness: You’re looking for golden crisp edges, rendered fat and juicy centres. (If probing, many prefer 70–75 °C in the thickest part for texture; belly will remain succulent thanks to the fat.)
- Rest briefly: 3–5 minutes on a rack (not a plate) to keep the underside crisp.
- Serve: Pile on a platter. To eat, wrap a slice in lettuce with rice, a dab of ssamjang, spring onion salad and kimchi.
Tip: Want a sticky glaze? In the final minute, brush slices with 1:1 gochujang:honey, flip, brush again, then move off-heat for 30–60s to set. Keep it late to avoid burning.
We served our pork belly in wraps that we quickly cooked, allowing them to puff up, on the searing grid.
