Soft, jiggly pork belly. Decadent, luscious sauce. My North Korean Grandmother’s Braised Pork Belly recipe is so good, you’ll be scraping the bowl clean.
In the summer of 1947, my grandparents paid someone to smuggle them out of North Korea.
For two weeks, my newly married grandparents traveled across rivers and mountains. They walked at night and slept during the day. They defecated in holes dug with sticks and covered up their tracks so that no one could follow them. They went up and down so many mountains (Korea is called the land of 1000 mountains) that my 18 year old Halmoni thought she was going to die.
Many years later, she immigrated to America with their husband and sons. This easy braised pork belly dish was one of the recipes she brought with her!
What is Korean Braised Pork Belly?
Rich and stewy, Korean Braised Pork Belly is my North Korean Grandmother’s recipe. We called it Doenjang Dwaeji Gogi or Soybean Paste Pork.
Thick, meaty chunks of pork belly are braised until soft, tender, jiggly, and luscious. A generous scoop of doenjang (Korean fermented soybean paste) creates a savory, pungent sauce that clings and coats the meat.
Out of all the family dishes my Korean grandmother cooks — this one is especially treasured. I will be cooking this for my own grandkids one day!
Ingredients:
- Doenjang. Korean fermented soybean paste. Use the best you can find.
- Pork Belly. Look for nicely marbled pieces that contain an equal amount of fat and meat. It doesn’t matter if the pork belly is skinned or not — the long braising time will break it down regardless.
- Ginger. The classic aromatic that pairs well with pork.
- Instant Coffee. Optional ingredient but a classic Korean way to remove the gamey smell of meat. Leave out if you don’t have it.
- Mirin. Sweet Korean cooking wine.
- Soy Sauce. For more flavor and depth.
- Jalapeno. When stewed, adds richness and depth of flavor. Results in a subtly spicy dish.
Instructions:
- Slice pork belly into 1/2-inch strips and place in a large pot. Add remaining ingredients and water.
- Cover and cook until pork belly is soft and tender, about 30 minutes. The sauce will be watery.
- Remove lid and simmer until sauce is thick and reduced, about 10-15 minutes. The pork belly and sauce should darken.
- Serve with lettuce wraps, rice, gochujang sauce, and kimchi. Enjoy!
How do I serve Korean Braised Pork Belly?
To cut the rich fattiness of the dish, serve with lettuce wraps and Gochujang Sauce on the side. Also, kimchi!
Also, make sure to include plenty of rice. The saucy richness of this dish begs to be spooned over rice!
For a party, add other side dishes (banchan) to make it feel like a feast:
FAQ:
What is Doenjang?
Doenjang is Korean fermented soybean paste. Like all other fermented foods, it’s strongly flavored and absolutely delicious. Doenjang is also probiotic and packed with good-for-your-gut nutrition.
Doenjang is similar to Miso paste in that they are both fermented soybean pastes. However, Miso is fermented with Koji, a sweet rice starter that results in a milder, sweeter flavor. Doenjang is fermented with only salt, creating a deeply rich and potent flavor base!
Can this dish be made ahead of time?
Yes, you can Korean Braised Pork Belly up to 2-3 days in advance. It keeps very well in the fridge. Make sure to reheat gently so the sauce doesn’t burn.
Other Pork Belly Dishes to enjoy:
- Bossam with Radish Oyster Kimchi
- Spicy Pork Belly Bulgogi
- Kimchi Jjigae with Pork Belly
- Osam Bulgogi (Pork Belly + Squid Bulgogi)
This easy pork belly recipe fits neatly into the family of melt-in-your-mouth Asian Braised Pork Belly dishes. Vietnamese Thit Kho. Taiwanese Lu Rou Fan. Chinese Hong Shao Ru. Japanese Kakune.
My North Korean Grandmother’s Braised Pork Belly
Equipment
- Stock pot
Ingredients
- 3 lbs pork belly
- 1/2 cup Doenjang (Korean fermented soybean paste)
- 2 Tbsp Mirin
- 1 Tbsp Soy Sauce
- 1/2 inch ginger, minced
- 1 Tbsp instant coffee (optional)
- 1-2 Jalapenos, sliced *see notes below
- 2 cups water
Instructions
- Slice pork belly into 1/2-inch strips and place into a large pot. Add remaining ingredients.
- Bring to a boil then lower heat and simmer (covered) until pork belly is tender and soft, about 30 minutes. The sauce will be watery.
- Remove lid and simmer until sauce is thick and reduced, about 10-15 minutes. The pork belly and sauce should darken.
- Serve with lettuce wraps, rice, gochujang sauce, and kimchi. Enjoy!
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Made this and really enjoyed it! One problem I had was that a lot of oil was left after simmering uncovered. Should I add more water to fix that or just simmer for less time? It could be that the pork belly cut I was using was just too fatty as well though
Yes, feel free to add more water so it will be very rich and saucy. You can also refrigerate and remove the hardened fat to enjoy a less oily sauce.
Hi,
Incredible story and this sounds delicious! If I was going to make for 8 people, how many pounds of pork belly do suggest ?
Also, for that amount of pork, what is the total time to braise? Thanks!!
For 8 people, you could try 4 lbs and keep all the rest of the ingredients the same. It’s very forgiving. If the taste is not strong enough at the end, add another small scoop of Doenjang and cook for 5 minutes more. Enjoy!!
Was looking for a Korean pork belly recipe to make for dinner with some kimchi and I can’t wait to cook this tonight!!
So sorry! One more question, do you use pork belly with skin on or off?
I’ve used both and they both work well. The long braising time breaks down the skin. Enjoy!
So awesome! I’m making this ASAP! Looks super mashita! How much ginger do you use? And when you say ground ginger do you mean freshly grated like on a microplane or dried ground like a powder? Thank you!!
Yes, it is very mashita! I use 1/2 inch fresh ginger, minced. Thank you!
Just made this, Such an amazing taste from simple ingredients. My family loved it.
Great story, recently we have a big Asian supermarket in our neighborhood, so I was searching for some Korean recipes and came across your site. I will try this recipe, love pork belly. (As a matter of fact, I will going to try dozens of your recipes) (-:
Thank you! Enjoy your adventures in Korean cooking ?
On the picture it Looks like there is garlic or ginger in there aswell ? Whats that if not ?
You are absolutely right! There is ground ginger as well. I can’t believe I forgot to include that 🤦🏻♀️. Thx for the catch and I will adjust the recipe. A little bit of ginger prevents the pork from smelling too gamey. Thx
Wow what an incredible story! Yum I need to try this one!