How To Make Korean Soybean Pork Belly Roll

Nowadays, your food bucket list is not yet complete unless you have tasted any Korean food in town. In an instant, the country has been invaded by Samgyeopsal, Bulgogi, Kim Chi, Korean barbecue, Bibimbap, Bingsu Kimbap, Tteokbokki, Japchae and Ramyeon. And I’m not complaining at all. I’m actually ecstatic and I love trying foreign cuisine. In fact, I’m now addicted to Korean barbecue and I know many of us do.

Today, my insanity led me to combine three Korean dishes – Samgyeopsal, Ssamjang and Gimbap by simply dipping grilled pork belly in soybean paste and wrapping them in rice and seaweed sheets.

Many mistook Gimbap as sushi because of the similarities in their appearance. But they are actually different. And we can recognize their distinction in the rice and not on the fillings. Sushi uses vinegared rice while the rice in Gimbap is mixed with sesame oil and is usually sweeter.

1. Prepare all the ingredients needed.

• 3 cups rice
• 5 tbsp sesame oil
• half kilo pork belly
• 2 tbsp soybean paste
• 3 tbsp honey
• 1 carrot
• 1 cabbage
• a drizzle of salt
• 5 sheets of dried seaweed
• sesame seeds

2. Wash the pork belly. Season with salt.

3. As we all know, Samgyeopsal is Korean grilled pork belly. I don’t have griller at home so please bear with my fried pork belly. Anyway, you can cook your pork belly in either ways. You can also boil it before frying.

4. Cut into pieces and cover. Cook until it turns brown.

5. Make the Ssamjang by mixing soybean paste, honey, two tablespoons of sesame oil and a pinch of sesame seeds. In most cases, Ssamjang is mixed with Korean paste chili called Gochujang. But my companions are not fond of spicy food so I exclude that in my recipe.

6. Pour over the meat and mix. Set this aside.

7. Slice carrots and cabbage into strips.

8. Wash the veggies. Set this aside.

9. Get the cooked rice and drizzle with three tablespoons of sesame oil.

10. Let’s start assembling the Gimbap! Get the nori and place on sushi mat.

11. Spread a thin layer of rice.

12. Arrange the carrot and cabbage strips on top.

13. Place pieces of soybean fried pork belly on top.

14. Shower some sesame seeds on the pork.

15. Let’s start rolling.

16. Slice the Gimbap into small rolls using a wet knife.

17. Your Samgyeopsal Gimbap is now done and ready to be served.