Pork Belly Lettuce Wraps! Fresh, flavorful and so delicious! See how to make these wraps, a Korean favorite!

Well, today is a great day friends! For starters, I have these fabulous Pork Belly Lettuce Wraps to share with you!! And secondly, my first official post for The Kitchn is live!!

I am now officially a contributor to The Kitchn! Insert happy dance.

I’ve been reading The Kitchn for a few years now so actually being a contributor is like a dream come true. And I am over the moon that my first recipe is a Korean food recipe. I’m a big fan of pork belly because it’s so flavorful and if you’ve never tried it, you need to!

A trip to the Korean market is always fun when I’m getting ready to entertain or simply preparing a weeknight meal. We love Korean food at our house, and pork belly lettuce wraps are always a fun and active way to serve delicious, flavorful food, no matter the occasion.

These lettuce wraps celebrate the popular Korean dish Samgyeopsal Gui, which simply means grilled pork belly. Koreans traditionally eat Samgyeopsal while grilling the meat themselves at the table. The pork is then placed into a piece of lettuce topped with a Korean perilla leaf, a delicious green onion salad and then either ssamjang or a sweet and spicy gochujang (hot pepper paste) mixture to top it all off.

You can head over to The Kitchn to read my post and see the recipe there, as well.

And if you like it or have questions, please let me know! I’ll be answering comments over there as well.

Until next time. . and I hope you enjoy!

Pork Belly Lettuce Wraps topped with pickled vegetables.

Print Recipe

Pork Belly Lettuce Wraps

Recipe Notes This recipe can easily be doubled or cut in half depending on how many people you are serving. If you cook the pork belly at the table using an indoor tabletop grill, try adding some fresh garlic cloves to cook along side the pork belly and enjoy in your lettuce wraps. Some people also enjoy dipping their cooked pork belly pieces into a sesame oil, salt, and pepper mixture. This is a great option for some added flavor. If you have any leftovers of the sweet and spicy gochujang mixture, this can be eaten with raw vegetables sticks, such as carrots and zucchini.

Course: Appetizer or Main

Cuisine: Korean

Servings:

Author: Hip Foodie Mom

Ingredients

For the gochujang mixture:

3/4 cup gochujang
2 tablespoons sesame oil
2 tablespoons honey
Roasted sesame seeds

For the green onion salad:

10 to 12 green onions finely shredded or sliced lengthwise
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1 to 2 teaspoons gochugaru start with one teaspoon
Kosher salt
Roasted sesame seeds

For the lettuce wraps:

3 pounds pork belly thinly sliced and cut into 1- to 2-inch pieces
2 heads green leaf or Boston Bibb lettuce washed and separated
Korean perilla leaves

Toppings:

Pickled carrots store-bought or homemade
Pickled radishes store-bought or homemade
Kimchi store-bought or homemade

Instructions

To prepare the gochujang mixture:

In a small bowl, mix together the gochujang, honey and sesame oil. Taste and adjust any ingredients as necessary. Sprinkle with sesame seeds, mix again slightly and set aside.

For the green onion salad:

Combine the shredded green onions, sesame oil, and gochugaru in a medium-sized bowl. Toss together and season with salt. Taste and adjust any ingredients as necessary. Lightly sprinkle some roasted sesame seeds over the top, mix together one last time and set aside.

For the pork belly:

Using a heated tabletop grill (or in a non-stick pan over medium-high heat on the stovetop), cook the pork belly for a few minutes on each side until browned and cooked through. As the pork belly pieces are cooked and finished, start assembling your lettuce wraps.

To assemble:

Place a Korean perilla leaf into a piece of lettuce and top with 2 to 3 pieces of pork belly. Top with a little of the green onion salad and a bit of the gochujang mixture. Finish with any other toppings, as desired.

More Korean recipes!

Comments

Nancy @ gottagetbaked

April 21, 2014 at 10:11 pm

Alice, you’re amazing. I’m so happy that you’re a contributor for the Kitchn now (I love that site). This is an awesome first recipe to post as a contributor. It looks fantastic!

- hipfoodiemom
  
  April 22, 2014 at 6:06 am
  
  Thank you so much, Nancy!!! Means so much!
  
Karrie

April 22, 2014 at 11:45 pm

Congratulations on being a contributor. I really like that site and apartment therapy. The post was great. I can’t wait to try the recipe. And I will be looking for the green onion shredder. I had no idea that it existed.

- hipfoodiemom
  
  April 23, 2014 at 6:08 am
  
  Thank you so much, Karrie!! And I know!! Regarding the green onion shredder. . I was so amazed when my friend whipped that out! Please let me know how you like it! 🙂
  
Allie | Baking a Moment

April 26, 2014 at 9:40 pm

Congratulations, Alice! I’m so happy for you 😀 Heading over now to check out this fabulous recipe…

Pork Belly Lettuce Wraps