Kurobuta Pork Samgyeopsal | 300g

Kurobuta Samgyeopsal - Korean Tabletop Barbecue

300g pork belly, sliced 4.5–6mm. Serves 2. Defrost 8 hours. Around 10 minutes of cooking.

1. Defrost
Move the pack from freezer to fridge. Leave it in its packaging, on a plate. Allow 8 hours. Cook within 48 hours of defrosting. Do not refreeze.

2. Add nothing at all
Samgyeopsal is cooked plain, with no salt, oil or marinade. The seasoning happens at the table, in the wrap.

3. Set the table first
Lettuce or perilla leaves, kimchi, sliced garlic, spring onion salad, ssamjang and a little sesame oil with salt. This is cooked and eaten in rounds, so everything should be ready before the first slice goes down.

4. Medium-high heat, and no oil
A tabletop grill, ridged pan or heavy skillet. Add nothing. This belly is very fatty and will render more than enough within the first minute.

5. Grill slowly and turn often
3 to 4 minutes a side, turning several times. At 5mm these are thicker than yakiniku slices and want a steadier heat so the fat renders and the edges crisp rather than burning.

6. Cook it through
The meat should be opaque throughout with crisp, deeply browned edges. Pork belly is eaten cooked through, not pink.

7. Cut with scissors on the grill
Snip each slice into bite-sized pieces as it finishes, the way it is done in Korea. It is easier than a knife and keeps everything on the heat.

8. Wrap and eat
A leaf, a piece of pork, a dab of ssamjang, a slice of grilled garlic. Eat it in one. Pour off the rendered fat between rounds, or grill kimchi in it.

Delivered frozen
Keep frozen at -18°C until needed. Use by the date on the pack.
Defrost in the fridge, in its packaging, on a plate. Allow 8 hours. Slices this thin thaw quickly.
Never defrost at room temperature or in a microwave.
Open the pack and peel the slices apart while they are still firm. Left to soften in a block they weld together and tear.
Once defrosted, keep at 0-4°C and cook within 2 days.
Do not refreeze once thawed.