Samgyeopsal

Samgyeopsal (three-layered meat — pork belly) is Korean BBQ at its most primal — thick-cut pork belly grilled directly on a tabletop grill, cut into pieces with scissors at the table, then wrapped in perilla leaf or lettuce with garlic, ssamjang, and kimchi. The simplicity is the point: quality pork belly, live-fire cooking, communal eating. No marinade. The fat renders onto the grill and crisps the edges of each slice.

Korea. Samgyeopsal is a post-Korean War phenomenon — pork belly, previously given to foreign workers, became mainstream in Korean cuisine in the 1970s and is now one of the most consumed proteins in South Korea. The communal BBQ format is a specifically Korean social ritual.

Soju (Chamisul or Jinro) and Korean lager (somaek — soju mixed with beer) — the canonical samgyeopsal combination. The ritual of pouring for others before yourself is an important social dimension of the meal.

Pork belly: 1.5cm thick slices, no marinade — the quality of the pork is everything. Korean-style pork belly (samgyeopsal) is specific: equal layers of fat and meat, not excessively fatty The grill: charcoal is traditional; cast iron plate (samgyeopsal plate) over a gas burner is the common modern version. The grill must be very hot before the pork is placed Cooking: place the belly slices flat on the grill, cook undisturbed for 2-3 minutes until the fat side begins to render and char, then flip. The pork should have visible caramelisation and slight char Scissoring: use kitchen scissors to cut the grilled belly into bite-sized pieces directly on the grill — this is the standard Korean BBQ technique The ssam (wrap): perilla leaf (kkaennip) or butter lettuce, a piece of pork, a slice of raw garlic, a dab of ssamjang (doenjang and gochujang fermented paste), kimchi, and a sliver of green onion Jeongol (bonus): at the end, remaining garlic, kimchi, and rice can be cooked in the rendered pork fat on the grill