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Korean BBQ Pork Belly with Scallion Salad

Prep Time30 minutes
Cook Time10 minutes
Total Time40 minutes
Cuisine: Korean
Servings: 4 servings
Author: LydiaF

Ingredients

For the scallions salad (pa muchim)

  • 1 bunch scallions
  • 1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons sesame oil
  • 1 teaspoon salt more or less
  • 1 teaspoon sugar more or less
  • 1 teaspoon gochugaru substitute a similar chili powder like hot paprika or chop up a red red chili
  • 1 teaspoon sesame seeds

For the bbq pork belly (samgyupsal)

  • About a pound thickly sliced pork belly 1/2 inch if slicing off a slab
  • vegetable oil

For serving

  • sesame oil mixed with salt
  • gochujang or similar chili paste
  • lettuce leaves bibb lettuce is a good choice. I used oak leaf lettuce
  • other chopped herbs as desired
  • cooked rice for four people

Instructions

For the scallion salad

  • Trim the roots and the woody parts of the leaves. Peel off any slimy or browned parts. Then slice the scallions into long thin strips. Cut the strips into pieces 2 - 3 inches long and place in a cold water bath for about 30 minutes.
  • Make the vinaigrette by combining the rice vinegar, sesame oil, salt and sugar together in a bowl and whisk to combine. Adjust the amounts to suit your tastes. You'll use some to dress the scallions and the rest can be served at the table.
  • To make the salad, put a couple teaspoons of the vinaigrette into a bowl. Drain the scallions and add them to the bowl. Mix well to cover them in the vinaigrette. Sprinkle on the chili powder (or chopped chilis like I used) and the sesame seeds and combine. Set aside until ready to serve.

Cook the pork belly

  • Use a sharp knife to score the meaty part of the pork belly in several places. This helps keep it from curling in the pan.
  • Heat a small amount of oil in the bottom of a heavy skillet or grill pan. Working in batches if necessary, add the slices of pork belly and allow to cook on high heat for a couple of minutes until marks appear. Turn and cook the other side until the desired doneness and the skin crisps up a bit. The amount of time depends on the thickness of the slices and how well you like it cooked. My pieces were thin and some were overcooked. Others were perfect.
  • Cut into smaller pieces before serving.

To serve

  • Arrange the 3-4 lettuce leaves per person, the scallion salad and the cooked pork belly on a platter.
  • Pour some sesame oil and salt into a small bowl and set it into the center of the platter.
  • Pour the reserved vinaigrette and chili sauce into separate dipping bowls.
  • Transfer the cooked rice to a serving bowl.
  • Allow everyone to make their own plate.