Korean slow-cooked pork belly wraps

Name: Korean slow-cooked pork belly wraps
Cook time: 2 h 30 min
Yield: 8
Cuisine: Korean
Ingredients: 1.5kg piece pork belly; 1 tbsp vegetable oil; 1 butter lettuce, in leaves; 2 cups store-bought kimchi; 4 cucumbers, cut into sticks; 4 green chillies, sliced; steamed white rice, to serve

Neil Perry

May 20, 2021

DIY dining: Korean pork belly ssam.William Meppem

Time:2 hours +Serves:8

These delicious wraps are great for dinner-time get-togethers. Serve with rice, sauces, vegetable accompaniments and lettuce leaves and encourage guests to make their own wraps at the table.The adventurous can do as the Koreans do and add freshly shucked oysters to the pork belly wraps.

Ingredients

1.5kg piece pork belly
1 tbsp vegetable oil
1 butter lettuce, in leaves
2 cups store-bought kimchi
4 cucumbers, cut into sticks
4 green chillies, sliced
steamed white rice, to serve

For the stock

5 cloves garlic, crushed
½ bunch spring onions, chopped
4cm piece ginger, skin on, sliced
1 brown onion, sliced
2 tbsp Korean soybean paste (doenjang)
1 tsp sea salt
1 tbsp black peppercorns

For the dipping sauce

½ cup Korean soybean paste
1½ tbsp grated onion
1½ tbsp toasted sesame oil
1½ tbsp toasted sesame seeds
3 tsp grated ginger

For the chive salad

1 tsp caster sugar
1 tsp sea salt
1 tbsp white vinegar
1 tsp Korean red pepper flakes (gochugaru)
1 tsp toasted sesame seeds
1 tbsp toasted sesame oil
2 bunches garlic chives, cut into
3cm lengths

For the glaze

2 tbsp Korean soybean paste
2 tbsp honey
1½ tbsp grated ginger
1 tsp Korean chilli paste (gochujang)

Method

1. For the stock, combine ingredients with 4 litres water. Bring to a boil then simmer for 20 minutes. Place pork in stock and simmer until tender, about 1 1/2 hours.
2. For the dipping sauce, combine ingredients and check seasoning.
3. For the chive salad, dissolve sugar and salt in vinegar. Whisk in pepper flakes, sesame seeds and oil. Check seasoning then mix dressing with the chives.
4. Remove pork from stock. Leaving on as much fat as possible, remove skin and discard. Cut pork in half lengthways. Heat oil in a fry pan on a very high heat and colour both sides. whisk together glaze ingredients and rub onto pork fat.
5. Heat oven to 200°C. Sit pork on a rack in a baking dish and add a little water to the bottom. Place in oven and roast until top starts to caramelise, about 20-30 minutes.
6. Rest pork for 10 minutes.
7. Thinly slice pork and arrange on a platter. Serve with rice, sauces, vegetable accompaniments and lettuce leaves.
To serve: People can make their own wraps at the table by placing fillings on a lettuce leaf or two and rolling them up.