Savory Soy-Braised Pork Belly (Samgyeopsal Suyuk)
Weekend Special: Easy & Delicious Soy-Braised Pork Belly
Presenting a weekend special recipe: Soy-Braised Pork Belly (Samgyeopsal Suyuk)! This dish features a clean, savory flavor from being braised in soy sauce. While pan-frying pork belly at home can be challenging due to smoke and grease, boiling it as ‘suyuk’ is a much more convenient and healthier method, reducing calories. It’s an excellent choice for dinner parties or a special weekend meal. Highly recommended!
Main Ingredient
- Pork Belly 1kg (prepared for boiling)
Aromatics
- 1/2 Onion (roughly chopped)
- 1 Leek (roughly chopped)
- 10 whole Garlic cloves
- 10 whole Peppercorns
- 2 Bay Leaves
Braising Liquid
- 1 cup Beer (helps tenderize and remove odor)
- 10 cups Water
- 1 cup Soy Sauce
- 1/2 Onion (roughly chopped)
- 1 Leek (roughly chopped)
- 10 whole Garlic cloves
- 10 whole Peppercorns
- 2 Bay Leaves
Braising Liquid
- 1 cup Beer (helps tenderize and remove odor)
- 10 cups Water
- 1 cup Soy Sauce
Cooking Instructions
Step 1
Prepare approximately 1kg of pork belly, cut into a suitable shape for boiling (suyuk).
Step 2
In a large pot, add 10 cups of water, the roughly chopped onion, leek, 10 whole garlic cloves, 10 whole peppercorns, and 2 bay leaves. Bring to a boil over high heat. Once boiling, carefully add the pork belly.
Step 3
Once the pork belly is in, add 1 cup of soy sauce and 1 cup of beer. The beer helps to eliminate any gamey odor and enhances the tenderness of the meat. Bring back to a boil over high heat, then reduce to medium-low, cover, and simmer for 40 minutes to 1 hour, or until tender. The cooking time may vary depending on the thickness of the pork belly. You can check for doneness by piercing the meat with a skewer; if no pink liquid comes out and it’s tender, it’s ready.
Step 4
Carefully remove the cooked pork belly from the pot and let it cool slightly. To ensure clean slices, allow it to rest for a few minutes before slicing it into pieces about 0.5cm thick. Avoid slicing while it’s too hot, as it might fall apart. Slicing them not too thin and not too thick will give you the best texture.
Step 5
Arrange the sliced soy-braised pork belly attractively on a serving plate. It’s now ready to be enjoyed! Serve with salted shrimp (saeujeot), ssamjang, kimchi, and other accompaniments.
