Korean Pork Belly Bites

These bite-sized morsels of pork are so quick and easy to prepare! In less than 60 minutes, you can have these delicious Korean Pork Belly Bites on your dinner plate! Prepared with fresh garlic and ginger, and garnished with sliced green onions, expect an explosion of flavour here!

If you have been reading my blog for any length of time, you will have read that I’m a huge fan of pork. So today, I’m back with another pork belly recipe, Dear Reader! This time around, it’s Korean Pork Belly Bites. Don’t they look delicious? They’re so easy to make, but it looks like it has been slow-braised all day. Nevertheless, it takes less than an hour from start to finish.

It seems like a million years have passed since I’ve had pork belly.  I remember the first time I had it; in fact, I remember it very well.  John.e and I had just started dating.  We were spending the weekend with my daughter and were invited to attend a birthday party at a horse racing venue that Sunday afternoon.

We placed a few bets – and won a few – and took part in a buffet dinner.  One of the items on the menu was barbequed pork belly.  The name was off-putting, but I had to try it.  I’d have a safe bet if I said I ate a pound or two of the stuff.  This particular dish uses pork belly, but I wanted to have a spicy version to accompany some steamed broccoli and rice. 

MORE PORK BELLY RECIPES

One of the most popular dishes at Lord Byron’s Kitchen is my Easy Baked Pork Belly. As much as I love that recipe and would never grow tired of it, I wanted to show you more pork belly recipes that can be just as easy and just as delicious. Grilled Pork Belly Skewers rely on the marinade and high heat to get the most out of this wonderful piece of meat.

Just in case you’re unfamiliar with pork belly, it does have a lot of fat content. Steak has what we call marbling, which is in its most basic form, fine lines of fat running through the meat that melt during cooking and keep the steak tender and moist. Well, if steak has marbling, then pork belly, in comparison, has layers of fat. But, it’s delicious!

That’s what makes pork belly so perfect for a smoker. In contrast to most cooking appliances, a smoker applies a slow and low cooking method. This slow and steady heat helps to render out some of the fat and break down the fibers. When the fat in pork belly renders out, it acts as its own baste. Be sure to try my Barbecued Smoked Pork Belly Burnt Ends if you have access to a smoker.

WHAT IS PORK BELLY?

Pork belly is an inexpensive, fatty cut of meat from the underside of the pig near the loin. Spareribs also come from this area. When kept whole, the cut looks like a brick of meat with a thick layer of flat running along the top and smaller layers of fat marbled throughout. A whole side of pork belly can weigh close to 12 pounds.

Pork belly can be cooked so many ways, but the most common and most recognizable functionality of pork belly is bacon. The side of the pork belly is stripped of its fatty outer layer and then smoked, cured, and sliced thinly. With a good recipe, a smoker, and some patience, you can make your own bacon at home. It seems to be everyone’s go-to breakfast meat.

Pork bellies are more traditionally seen in the cuisines of northern Europe and Asia. It’s traditionally used in cuisines where it plays both a starring role, like in pork belly bao, and a salty add-on to other dishes, like pancetta.

WHAT PORK BELLY SHOULD I USE?

I’ve seen pork belly in two different formats.  The first is a solid piece that resembles a package of thick-cut bacon.  It is usually about an inch or an inch and a half thick. It may or may not have the skin still attached and running along the top side of the pork.

The second format looks like extra thick-cut bacon that has been laid flat.  It’s usually found layered on a Styrofoam meat tray. Most packages have four or five slices that are layered in a slightly overlapping fashion. For this Korean Pork Belly Bites recipe, you will want a solid piece of pork belly – about one pound in total.  The skin was left on the pork belly, but I removed it.  I find that the skin in this type of recipe is just too chewy and almost inedible.

INGREDIENTS NEEDED FOR THIS RECIPE:

The list below lists what ingredients are needed and why they are important to this dish. A full list of ingredient measurements and preparation can be found in the recipe card near the bottom of this post.

• Pork Belly – Read the sections that follow which will guide you through which type of pork belly to use. Just remember to remove the skin – sometimes called a fat cap – before cooking. A butcher can do this for you, but try it at home. It’s quite easy!
• Ground Black Pepper & Salt
• Cooking Oil – Use canola, vegetable, olive, or avocado oil.
• Garlic – Freshly minced garlic always pairs well with pork, especially in an Asian-inspired recipe like this one.
• Ginger – Fresh ginger is used here not the dried powder stuff. Use a box grater to grate the ginger. It’s easier than chopping.
• Gochujang – You can find it in many big chain grocery stores and most certainly in Asian markets. It’s also available on Amazon.
• Gochujaru – These are Korean hot pepper flakes. You can find these in Asian markets or online as well.
• Soy Sauce – Use low-sodium soy sauce. It’s always a safe bet when cooking or marinating so that you don’t over-salt the dish.
• Honey – For sweetness.
• Sesame Seeds – For garnish.
• Green Onions – For flavour and garnish.

HOW TO MAKE KOREAN PORK BELLY BITES

Preheat your oven to 450 degrees F. Toss the prepared pork belly pieces with the salt and pepper to coat and transfer to an aluminum foil-lined baking dish. Bake the pork pieces for 20 minutes. Remove them from the oven, turn them over, and bake them for an additional 20 minutes. Once the pork is cooked, transfer the pork pieces to a paper towel-lined plate and set aside. Safely discard the grease.

Next, add the cooking oil, garlic, and ginger to a large skillet over medium heat. Stir and cook for 2 minutes or until fragrant. Add the gochujang, low-sodium soy sauce, and honey to the skillet. Stir to combine and continue to cook until the sauce is heated through – about 3 minutes. Add the pork pieces to the skillet and toss well to coat in the sauce. Plate and garnish with the green onions. Serve immediately.

WHAT IS GOCHUJANG?

Gochujang is one of my new favourite ingredients.  Don’t worry; it’s not too spicy at all and you can totally control how much you’re adding to your recipes.  So, what is gochujang?   It’s a savoury, sweet, and spicy sauce made from red chilies, soybeans, barley, etc.  It’s spicy and sweet all at the same time.  Oh, and a little goes a long way!

I’m a weakling when it comes to spicy and heat toleration, so if I can handle it, so can you!  Gochujang is also very easy to find.  It’s at every Asian supermarket and even some of the larger national grocers. If you can’t find it, you can substitute it by mixing 1 tablespoon each of chili powder, ketchup, soy sauce, and sugar.  Add 1/2 teaspoon of dried red chili flakes and whisk together.  Let it sit in the fridge for a few hours to marry together.

Gochujang cannot be completely replicated in substitute form, but that little recipe will give you a decent substitute without the depth and complexity of the original gochujang flavour.  Trust me, Dear Reader, it will still be delicious!

SERVING SUGGESTIONS

This pork belly dish is sweet and a little bit salty. It’s also spicy. And, just in case this is your first time having pork belly, it’s very fatty too. It’s the kind of fattiness that just melts in your mouth. I know it sounds bad, but it’s quite delicious. To offset the fattiness, you might want to consider serving this dish with what I consider to be a palate cleanser.

As you can see, I’m serving mine with steamed broccoli and rice. However, if you want something more flavourful, you could certainly consider these bolder sides. Try my Sesame Bean Sprouts Salad. It is a crunchy and delicious side that can be prepared in less than 10 minutes! Blanched sprouts are tossed in a savoury, earthy, salty sauce made with soy sauce, sesame oil, minced garlic, and lots of fresh green onions.

Next, try my Soy Sesame Bok Choy with Spicy Mayo. It takes less than 15 minutes from start to finish! Seasoned and sauced with a savoury, salty, and slightly sour homemade dressing, this side is one you will want to make over and over again! All three of these recipes together made a delicious and flavourful dinner!

QUESTIONS?

If I have not answered all of your questions in the text above, don’t hesitate to reach out to me! You can contact me by sending me a message in the comments section further down the page. I will try my best to answer as soon as possible! You might reach me even faster by following me on Facebook and sending me a private message. Scroll down to follow me and never miss another recipe!