My North Korean Grandmother's Braised Pork Belly

small shallow dish with korean braised pork belly and side dishes all around

5 from 9 votes

My North Korean Grandmother's Braised Pork Belly

A recipe from my family's kitchen to yours: My North Korean Grandmother's Braised Pork Belly. Tender, decadent pork belly is cooked together with a generous scoop of Korean soybean paste (Doenjang). The braised pork belly becomes jiggly and luscious. The sauce becomes rich and savory! Serve with rice, lettuce wraps, and kimchi. Scrape your bowl clean with this easy and delicious recipe!

Prep Time10

Cook Time45

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Korean

Keyword: Braised, Korean, Pork Belly

Servings:

Calories: 1234kcal

Author: Lis Lam

Equipment

Stock pot with lid

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. Slice pork belly into 1/2-inch strips and place into a large pot. Add remaining ingredients: doenjang, mirin, soy sauce, ginger, instant coffee, jalapenos, and water.
Cook. 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.
Reduce sauce. Remove lid and simmer until the sauce is thick and reduced, about 10-15 minutes. The pork belly and sauce should darken.
Serve. Transfer to a serving bowl. Serve with lettuce wraps, rice, and kimchi. Enjoy!

Notes

*I suggest 1-2 jalapenos because not all jalapenos are equally spicy. Some are very spicy, some are mild. I usually taste a little bit of the jalapeno. If it's spicy, I use 1 jalapeno. If it's mild, I use 2. Also, I make sure to include all the seeds.

**Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container. It should last for 4-5 days in the fridge. Reheat in the microwave, stirring ever 1-2 minutes, until hot and steaming. The pork belly should be tender.

- Do not cut the pork belly too small. The meat will shrink when cooked.

- Serve with the sauce! When serving, scoop a generous portion of the sauce on top of the pork belly. The sauce should be thick and generous.
- Add hard boiled eggs. An easy way to make this meal stretch. Add a few hard boiled eggs at the end of the cooking process and mix around in the braising liquid.

Nutrition