This Korean Braised Pork Belly is a subtly sweet and rich pork dish with a secret ingredient that will make it an unforgettable dish you’ll want to make again!
Have you ever tried pork belly braised in aromatics and makgeolli?? Makgeolli is a Korean rice wine that makes the pork super tender and flavorful. This is an easy dish to prepare, but it will definitely change the way look at pork belly forever.
This dish is very similar to Bossam (Korean Boiled Pork) or Suyuk (Water-boiled Meat), wherein the goal is to highlight the rich pork flavor yet make it taste light and clean as well. With makgeolli, it turns into a thick, sweet, and sharp glaze that will complement the pork really well.
What is Makgeolli?
Makgeolli is one of Korea’s traditional alcoholic drinks. It’s a rice wine made from rice, water, and nuruk starter. This then yields a milky-white/opaque, fizzy, and bit grainy drink but has a wide range of flavors from sweet, tangy, sharp, fruity, and smooth.
It’s a refreshing communal drink, just like soju, and great to be shared with family or friends over some seafood pancakes, bindaetteok (mung bean and pork pancakes), etc. This is served chilled, gently turned upside down to distribute the grains before opening, and then served on small bowls to keep the grain from setting at the bottom.
This drink is the oldest alcoholic drink in Korea. The royal court brewed makgeolli for the royalties from the time of the monarchy. Eventually, it also ‘farmer’s wine’ because the farmers could easily brew it at home with access to fresh harvests of grains.
Makgeolli has a long history of twists and turns, but nowadays, it’s once again gaining popularity as the younger generation discovers the variety of flavors, specifically homebrewed makgeolli. It also contains probiotics, nutrients, and even fiber, which makes it a more interesting drink.
Ingredients for Korean Braised Pork Belly
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- Pork Belly – This is the main ingredient of the dish, and this method of cooking is specifically done for pork belly. You need 2-inch slabs of pork belly that has a good ratio of fat and meat.
- Aromatics – The goal of this braised pork belly is for the meat to have a clean taste. You need garlic, onion, leeks, bay leaves, and peppercorns to reduce the foul odor and taste of the pork.
- Soy Sauce – For a bit of color and flavor since we’re not using any salt on the dish.
- Makgeolli – This acts as a tenderizer that will make pork melt in your mouth. As it braises down, the rice wine becomes a nice thick glaze that adds a subtle sweetness that just complements the pork.
How to make Korean Braised Pork Belly?
In a pot, place the pork belly in, and top it with garlic cloves, chunks of onion, slices of leeks, bay leaves, and peppercorns.
Pour soy sauce and a whole bottle of makgeolli all over the pork and aromatics, then place the pot on the stove on high heat to bring it to a boil.
Once boiling, start the timer. Let it boil for 20 minutes on high heat, uncovered. Flip the pork belly to ensure even cooking, then boil it again for 30 minutes on low heat, covered. Keep an eye on it, especially in the last stretch as the makgeolli thickens up.
Move the pork belly around to get the glaze, then remove it from the pot to let it rest and cool down for 10 minutes. This will help the pork dry and firm up a bit so it doesn’t crumble once sliced. I promise this is super tender!
Create a simple sauce by combining the garlic, pork glaze, soybean paste or ssamjang, red pepper paste, sesame oil, and sesame seeds. Mix this thoroughly.
Slice the pork belly to half-inch thick pieces, then serve with the sauce, and spicy radish salad. This is hands down the best combination for the dish!
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Korean Makgeolli-Braised Pork Belly
Ingredients
- 3 slabs Pork Belly 2-inch Thick
- 1/2 of Whole Onion Chopped in chunks
- 5 cloves Garlic Peeled
- 2 stalks Leeks Sliced into 3-5 inch sticks
- 3-4 pcs Bay Leaves
- 15 pcs Peppercorn
- 750 ml Makgeolli
- 5 tbsp Soy Sauce
Sauce
- Garlic From the braising pot
- 3 tbsp Pork Glaze From the braising pot
- 1 tbsp Soybean Paste or Ssamjang
- 1/2 tbsp Red Pepper Paste
- Sesame Oil
- Sesame Seeds
Instructions
- Place pork belly, chunks of onion, garlic cloves, leeks, bay leaves, and peppercorn in the pot.
- Pour makgeolli and soy sauce all over the pork and aromatics, then bring it to a boil.
- Once it starts boiling, start the timer. Let the pork belly boil on high heat for 20 minutes, uncovered. Flip the slabs, then let it boil on low heat for 30 minutes, covered.
- Remove pork from the pot, let it sit for 10 minutes, then slice into 1/2-inch thick pieces.
- Make a sauce by combining garlic, pork glaze, soybean paste or ssamjang, red pepper paste, sesame oil, and sesame seeds.
- Plate the pork, serve with the sauce and spicy radish salad, and enjoy!
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