A Korean Feast: Part 1 of 3 – Pork Belly!

Samgyeopsal [Pork Belly], Ssam Jang [Soybean Paste Dipping Sauce] & Pajori [Green Onion Salad]

Samgyeopsal is really just pork belly. If you love bacon, you’ll probably love samgyeopsal. In Korean restaurants, they’re normally cooked on the diners’ table and served with tons of banchan (side dishes). This is particularly entertaining when you dine with friends.

For me, a favorite place to do this in NYC is Kunjip in midtown Manhattan/Korea Town.

photo credit: http://flickrhivemind.net

The hubs bought a pack of raw samgyeopsal from a local H-Mart (but you can find them in any Asian supermarket) and simply pan fry them until golden brown on each side. We then cut them into bite-size pieces, about 1 in x 1 in.

Note: You do NOT need to add any oil – you’ll have plenty from the pork belly! We ended up soaking the pork belly oil with some paper towels, for our arteries’ sake!

To make more delicious, serve with Ssam Jang or soybean paste dipping sauce, and Pajori (green onion salad).

For the Ssam Jang, mix together the following ingredients:

• 1 clove garlic, minced well
• 1 heaping tsp red pepper paste (bottom left)
• 1 heaping tsp miso paste (bottom right)
• 1 heaping tsp seasoned soy bean paste (top)
• 1 tbsp sesame oil
• 1 tsp honey
• 1/2 tsp roasted sesame seeds

For the Pajori, grab some green onions and slice them thinly, vertically. Soak in cold water. I added ice cubes because I’d like to think the coldness adds a crunchy texture to the green onions.

Drain & mix well with the pajori dressing:

• 2 Tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tsp hot pepper flakes
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1/2 tsp roasted sesame seeds
• 1 Tbsp sesame oil

The recipe above is of course, adjustable to taste. I particularly love sesame oil, so I tend to put a lot in my recipes. You can also skip the roasted sesame seeds, though I find it nice for added texture.

Lastly, assemble & EAT!

• Grab a piece of lettuce
• Put a little bit of rice*
• Put 1 piece of samgyeopsal
• Put a little bit of ssam jang
• Put a little bit of pajori
• Fold into a little wrap & NOM! (best eaten in a single shot)

*You can skip the rice if you want to reduce carb intake. I personally have a special stomach dedicated to rice and no matter how full I am, I can still eat rice =)

I hope you enjoyed this Korean Feast as much as we did! We also had a bean sprout side dish and kimchi stew to go with our samgyeopsal. More on those recipes next time!

xo,

Angelina