Samgyeopsal

We have to admit it, we are belly pork lovers and like what Roger says, "You guys always eat good stuff". So it's getting pretty hard to lose weight like that.

Our favourite meal in Korea is the Jeju Island's Black Pigs. This seems to reaffirm our belief that black animals have tastier meat (eg. black skinned chickens). Pieces of pork shoulder meat and belly pork from black pigs are grilled on table top and cut into smaller pieces before eating, wrapped up in lettuce and spring onion. Heaven!

Interestingly in Korea, the meat are not paper thin, rather they are about slightly less than 1cm thick. We realised that with side dishes like Kimchi, daikon, spinach and many others, even though the main meal is meat, they are at least another five portions of vegetables, which makes it a pretty balanced meal.

I got my Samgyeopsal hotplate in Namdaemun market. Was debating whether I should get the Bulgogi one too, which was only 20,000 won (RM58) but did not dare to push it. The Samgyeopsal ones (45,000 won, about RM 130 each) were metal pieces of slanting plates that let the oil flow off the side into a smaller bowl while Bulgogi ones are dome shaped, reason being Bulgogi are marinated, so it is wet in the first place while samgyupsal is dry but oil will flow out later.

Why am I feeling a nagging sense of regret for not getting the Bulgogi ones too?

Here is my latest addition to the Nee's Kitchen family of arsenals.

Samgyeopsal are basically pieces of pork (bacon like raw strips but not cured or smoked like bacon) meal grilled on table top stove, dipped in sesame oil salt and pepper dip before wrapping in lettuce with chilli bean paste and spring onion salad (to our liking but optional). I found my pork strips at Butcher's Deli and Greg was smiling from ear to ear. Me too because i can imagine cooking becoming easier because he is going to grill his own meat. All I needed to do is prepare the salad, wash the lettuce and cook the rice.

We tried out my new toy when Roger was back for his holidays. His Royal Highness thinks he liked it, which was like an almighty compliment for his humble sister 'chef' or was that 'slave'?

Greg, well, he thinks it was as good as the ones we had in Korea.

For 3-4 person:

500 gm of sliced skinless pork belly, store bought which can be quite thin or you can slice it if you have good sharp knife when the piece is semi frozen.

Whole pieces of lettuce like romain, butterhead.

Gochujang, korea red chilli bean paste

Raw pieces of garlic sliced thinly lengthwise (optional)

Green chillis peppers (optional)

Sesame dip:

1 tbsp of salt

1 tbsp of cracked black pepper

2 tbsp of sesame oil

Scallion/Spring onion salad:

1 tbsp of soya sauce (korean)

1 1/2 tbsp of white vineger

1 tbsp of sesame oil

2 tbsp of water

1 teasp of korean red chilli flakes

1 tbsp of sugar
6-8 stalks of spring onion, cut thinly lengthwise

1) Toast salt and pepper in a pan over med to low fire. Add to sesame oil. Set aside.
2) Cut spring onion, especially the bottom half, into 2 inch length and slice into thin fine strips. Mix soya, sesame oil, sugar, vineger, water and chilli flakes. Add spring onion strips and mix well. Set aside.
3) Place pork strips on a pan over a table top gas stove. Grill on both sides till slight golden brown. If strips are too long, cut into half.

4) Dip in sesame dip.
5) Place on lettuce. Add garlic, spring onion salad and chilli bean paste. Wrap and eat with or without rice.