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Slow Cooker Pork Belly (Samgyupsal)
4.7 from 78 votes

Slow Cooker Pork Belly (Samgyupsal)

This Slow Cooker Pork Belly recipe, inspired by Samgyupsal, uses thick pork belly slabs seasoned with garlic, ginger, salt, and fermented soybean paste. The meat slow cooks over sliced onions until tender, then is glazed with a caramelized soy and rice wine sauce. The finished pork is thinly sliced and garnished with scallions and radish sprouts, highlighting layers of rich flavor and tender texture.

Servings: 6
Course: Main Course, Others

Ingredients

  • 2 to 3 pork belly about 2 to 3-inch wide cut - 2.5 to 3 pounds, whole fresh
  • 1 onion medium
Seasoning for the pork
  • 1 tablespoon garlic minced
  • 1 tablespoon ginger grated
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • 1 tablespoon doenjang Korean fermented soybean paste, or use 1 more teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Sauce for glazing
  • Double this if you want to serve with a sauce.
  • 2 tablespoons soy sauce
  • 2 tablespoons rice wine or dry white wine
  • 4 tablespoons liquid from cooking the pork belly, strained through a strainer.
  • 1 tablespoon sugar
Garnish
  • pachae 파채, (thinly sliced scallions) - 3 to 4 scallions
  • radish sprouts a handful

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. Combine all the seasoning ingredients in a small bowl.
  2. Cut the onion in half, and roughly slice each half, and place the slices at the bottom of the slow cooker in a single layer. Add 1/2 cup of water (or brewed coffee) to the slow cooker. Rub each pork belly with the seasoning mix. Place them on top of the onion.Cook on high for 3 to 4 hours (5 to 6 hours on low) until the pork reaches the desired tenderness.
  3. Combine all the sauce ingredients in a small bowl. Pour the sauce to a large pan, and bring to a boil over medium heat. Using a pair of kitchen tongs, add the meat and sear until all sides are nicely glazed with the sauce and the meat is slightly caramelized, a minute or two on each side. Do not burn the sauce.
  4. If doubling the sauce, use the same pan, after removing the meat, to boil the sauce over medium heat until slightly thickened. Adjust the salt level by adding a little bit of water if needed.
  5. Transfer the meat to a cutting board. Thinly slice crosswise.
  6. Serve simply with the thinly sliced scallions, or serve with some lettuce and ssamjang. Drizzle the sauce over the meat if using extra sauce. See note.
To make pachae (thinly sliced scallions)
  1. Cut each one into about 4 inch lengths. Slice each piece lengthwise as thin as possible.
  2. Soak the sliced scallions in cold water for 5 to 10 minutes to remove a bit of pungency and drain well.

Notes

  • Use thick, 2 to 3-inch wide pork belly slabs for ideal texture and cooking.
  • Doenjang enhances umami, but an extra teaspoon of salt can substitute if unavailable.
  • Slow cook on high for 3 to 4 hours or low for 5 to 6 hours until tender.
  • After slow cooking, pan-sear the pork in the prepared sauce to develop a caramelized glaze without burning.
  • Serve sliced with pachae (thinly sliced scallions) and radish sprouts for freshness.
  • For traditional Korean wrap style, pair with lettuce or cabbage leaves following a bossam recipe.