Filipino Home Samgyupsal Guide (Samgyupsal sa Bahay)
Samgyeopsal or Samgyupsal is a beloved Korean barbecue dish featuring grilled slices of pork belly served with fresh lettuce wraps, flavorful dipping sauces, and an array of traditional side dishes called banchan. This home version captures the interactive dining experience of popular Korean BBQ restaurants but allows for customization and significant cost savings. The dish combines succulent, marinated meat with crisp vegetables and punchy sauces, creating perfect lettuce-wrapped parcels bursting with complementary flavors and textures.
Equipment
- Korean Electric Grill Pan (Electrically-heated grill plate) or Non-stick pan with gas stove For grilling meat evenly without sticking
- Tongs [Sipit] For flipping and handling meat safely
- Small bowls (mangkok) For serving various banchan (side dishes)
- Lettuce Plate (Pinggan para sa gulay) For serving fresh vegetables
- Sauce Containers (Lalagyan ng sawsawan) For different dipping sauces
- Sharp knife [Matalas na kutsilyo] For cutting grilled meat into bite-sized pieces
- Scissors (Gunting) For cutting meat while cooking
Ingredients
For the Meat (Karne)
Choose one or both:
- 1 kilogram pork belly liempo, sliced thinly
- 1 kilogram beef baka, premium cuts like ribeye or sirloin
Fresh Vegetables (Sariwang Gulay)
- Fresh lettuce leaves lettuce
- Carrots karot, julienned
- White onions sibuyas, thinly sliced
- Cucumber pipino, sliced
- Korean pickled radish Musaengchae
- Enoki mushrooms kabuteng enoki
- King oyster mushrooms kabuteng oyster
- Bean sprouts togue
Banchan (Side Dishes)
- Store-bought or homemade kimchi
- Korean instant noodles ramyeon
- Tteokbokki Korean rice cakes
- Buttered corn mais
- Korean braised tofu Dubu-jorim
- Sweet and spicy dried anchovies dilis
- Potato marbles Gamja Jorim
- Radish kimchi Kkakdugi
- Korean rice rolls Kimbap
- Scallion salad Pa Muchim
Marinade Recipes
Spicy Pork Marinade (Maanghang na Marinade)
- 4 tablespoon gochujang paste Korean red pepper paste
- 2 tablespoon mirin matamis na rice wine
- 3 tablespoon soy sauce toyo
- 1 fresh apple or pear pureed (mansanas o peras)
- 2 tablespoon sugar asukal
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper paminta
- 5 cloves garlic minced (bawang)
- Salt to taste asin
Classic Pork Belly Marinade
- 3 green onions dahon ng sibuyas
- ½ onion thinly sliced (sibuyas)
- ½ onion ground (giniling na sibuyas)
- ¼ cup soy sauce toyo
- ¼ cup sugar asukal
- ¼ cup water tubig
- 2 teaspoon sesame oil langis ng sesame
- 2 teaspoon black pepper paminta
- 1 teaspoon sesame seeds buto ng sesame
- 1-2 teaspoon minced garlic dinurog na bawang
- 1 teaspoon chopped ginger luya
- Korean BBQ sauce optional
Dipping Sauces (Sawsawan)
Red Chili Sauce (Gochujang Sauce)
- ½ cup gochujang
- ¼ cup honey or sugar
- ¼ cup sesame oil
- 1½ teaspoon minced ginger
- 2 cloves minced garlic
Ssamjang Sauce
- ¼ cup ssamjang paste
- 1 chopped green onion
- 1 minced garlic clove
- 2 tablespoon gochujang paste
- 2 teaspoon sugar
- 2 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
Instructions
- Start preparation at least 30 minutes before cooking (or ideally the night before) by marinating your choice of meat. For spicy pork marinade (maanghang na marinade), combine 4 tablespoons gochujang paste, 2 tablespoons mirin, 3 tablespoons soy sauce (toyo), pureed apple or pear (mansanas o peras), 2 tablespoons sugar (asukal), black pepper (paminta), minced garlic (bawang), and salt (asin) to taste. For classic pork belly marinade, mix soy sauce, sugar, water (tubig), sesame oil, black pepper, minced garlic, ginger (luya), and finely sliced green onions (dahon ng sibuyas). Coat the meat evenly and refrigerate.
- While the meat marinates, prepare your banchan and sauces. For the red chili sauce, combine ½ cup gochujang with ¼ cup honey, ¼ cup sesame oil, ginger, and garlic. For ssamjang sauce, mix ¼ cup ssamjang paste with chopped green onion, garlic, gochujang paste, sugar, sesame seeds, and sesame oil. Set these aside in small serving bowls (mangkok).
- Prepare your fresh vegetables (sariwang gulay): wash and dry lettuce leaves, julienne the carrots, thinly slice white onions (sibuyas), slice cucumbers (pipino), and arrange mushrooms (kabute) and bean sprouts (togue) on serving plates (pinggan).
- Heat your Korean grill or non-stick pan to medium-high heat (180-200°C/350-400°F). Pat the marinated meat dry with paper towels before grilling to achieve better browning. Place meat slices on the hot grill, being careful not to overcrowd. Cook for 2-3 minutes per side until properly browned and cooked through. Use scissors to cut the meat into bite-sized pieces while on the grill.
- As you grill, maintain the temperature between 180-200°C (350-400°F) for optimal cooking. Clean the grill surface between batches using tongs (sipit) to prevent burning and sticking. Serve the meat immediately while hot, alongside your prepared banchan, fresh vegetables, and dipping sauces.
- For eating, place a piece of lettuce in your palm, add grilled meat, your choice of vegetables and banchan, top with preferred sauce, then wrap and eat in one bite, ssam-style. Continue grilling meat as needed throughout the meal to ensure everyone enjoys hot, freshly cooked portions.
Tips from Lola's Kitchen
- Pat dry the meat before grilling for better browning
- Don't overcrowd the grill - cook in batches if needed
- Clean the grill between batches to prevent burning
- Prepare banchan in advance to focus on grilling
- Store leftover marinaded meat in an airtight container
- Buy meat when it's on sale and freeze for future use
Nutrition
Calories: 550kcalCarbohydrates: 10gProtein: 25gFat: 45gTrans Fat: 2gCholesterol: 238mgSodium: 890mgPotassium: 947mgFiber: 2gSugar: 18gVitamin A: 126IUVitamin C: 7mgCalcium: 67mgIron: 5mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!