Spicy marinated pork belly strips, Korean style. Once the pork is marinated, all you need is a pan and less than 10 minutes to get dinner ready.
These sweet and spicy marinated pork belly pieces are perfect for a quick meal or as an appetizer. And if you are looking for another delicious recipe, check out these Quick Pork Belly Bites.
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Why will you love them?
- Easy: All you have to do is mix the ingredients needed for the marinade and cut the meat into pieces.
- Quick: Less than 10 minutes of cooking time.
- Make-ahead: The pork belly should spend at least 4 hours in the marinade, but you can go up to 12 hours.
- Versatile: Serve the pork belly pieces as an appetizer or main dish.
Recipe ingredients
Pork belly:
- I had a 1.5 lb (750 g) piece of pork belly with its skin still on. I removed the skin before slicing the meat.
- Pork belly is a cut of meat that comes from the pig’s underside, more or less the same cut as bacon. But unlike bacon, the belly is uncured and unsmoked.
- You can buy it in one piece or buy it already sliced. Use whatever you can find; if you can get the slices, it would be even faster to cut them into strips.
Marinade:
- Gochujang paste, sesame oil, rice vinegar, fresh ginger, fresh garlic, soy sauce, and sugar.
- Gochujang paste is a Korean fermented hot pepper paste containing chili powder, glutinous rice, fermented soybeans, and salt. It comes in several heat degrees, so you might want to pay attention to that when purchasing gochujang paste. I always use the medium.
Step-by-step instructions
- Pork belly marinade: Mix Gochujang paste, oil, vinegar, grated ginger, garlic, soy sauce, and sugar in a medium bowl (1).
- Cut the meat strips: Remove the skin from the belly of the pork. Slice the meat ¾ inch (2 cm) thick. Cut the slices into strips about as thick as your finger (2).
- Place in the bowl containing the marinade (3).
- Combine well until the meat pieces are coated with the sauce (4).
- Cover and refrigerate for 4 hours or up to 12.
- Remove the meat from the fridge about 20 minutes before cooking if you have the time.
- Heat a large nonstick pan or cast-iron skillet on high heat. If the pan is not large enough, fry the belly pieces in two batches.
- Place the meat in the pan and arrange the pieces in a single layer (5).
- Cook for 3-4 minutes (6).
- Flip the pieces and reduce the heat to medium (7).
- Cook for another 3-4 minutes or until cooked through. If the meat starts to get too dark, reduce the heat and move the pieces in the pan (8).
- Remove with a slotted spoon leaving as much of the rendered fat behind.
- Serve immediately.
Expert Tips
- Cut the meat into regular pieces so that they can cook evenly.
- Don’t use any oil to fry the meat; the marinated belly pork will render enough of its fat.
- Use a splatter screen when frying the meat.
Recipe FAQ
You can keep the skin on the meat if you like; many people do. However, I feel that the skin makes the whole dish even more calorie-laden as it already is, and it is also somewhat chewy.
You can bake them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper at 400°F (200°C) for about 20-30 minutes or until cooked through. Flip them halfway through.
Of course. Marinate the pork slices, fry them in the pan, bake them in the oven, or grill them.
The cooking time will be longer if using the grill or the pan; flip the meat every few minutes to prevent the marinade from burning.
If baking the pieces, flip halfway through (it will take about 20-30 minutes, depending on the thickness of the pork slices).
The marinated pork belly is best served immediately.
However, you can refrigerate the leftovers in an airtight container for about 2 days.
Freeze in an airtight container or freezer bag for up to 4 months. Defrost in the fridge and reheat before serving.
Reheat in the preheated oven on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper at about 350°F (180° C) until hot, about 10 minutes but check.
How to serve?
Main dish:
- It serves 4 to 6 people, the portions are not large, but the pork belly is very rich.
- Serve with rice or Asian-style noodles and a refreshing salad or pickles.
- Or serve with fries, sweet potato fries, oven-baked potato wedges, or mashed potatoes. Not very much Korean style but delicious.
Appetizer:
- It serves 10-12 people.
- Serve with salad, for instance, coleslaw, or arranged on lettuce leaves or small individual plates. Garnish with roasted sesame seeds and thinly sliced spring onions.
More Quick Appetizers
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📖 Recipe
Easy Marinated Pork Belly
Equipment
- Large nonstick pan or cast-iron skillet
Ingredients
- 1 ½ lb pork belly 750 g, Note 1
Marinade:
- 3 tablespoons Gochujang paste Note 2
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 3 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 ½ tablespoon granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon fresh ginger grated
- 2 teaspoons fresh garlic grated
Instructions
Marinade:
- Mix Gochujang paste, oil, vinegar, grated ginger, and grated garlic, soy sauce, and sugar in a medium bowl.
Marinate meat:
- Remove the skin.
- Slice the meat ¾ inch (2 cm) thick. Cut the slices into strips about as thick as your finger. Place in the bowl containing the marinade.
- Combine well until the meat pieces are coated with the sauce.
- Cover and refrigerate for 4 hours or up to 12.
- Remove the meat from the fridge about 20 minutes before cooking if you have the time.
Cook:
- Heat a large nonstick pan or cast-iron skillet on high heat. If the pan is not large enough, fry the belly pieces in two batches.
- Place the meat in the pan and arrange the pieces in a single layer. Cook for 3-4 minutes, flip the pieces and reduce the heat to medium.
- Cook for another 3-4 minutes or until cooked through. If the meat starts to get too dark, reduce the heat and move the pieces in the pan.
- Remove with a slotted spoon leaving as much of the rendered fat behind.
- Serve immediately.
Notes
- Weighed with the skin still on, you will have a bit less once you remove the skin. You can keep the skin on if you wish, but it becomes somewhat chewy when fried.
- I use medium-hot Gochujang paste.
Alfred says
Marinate the meat, not marinade the meat.
Can I marinade larger slices of meat?
Of course. Marinade the pork slices, fry them in the pan, bake them in the oven, or grill them.
The cooking time will be longer if using the grill or the pan; flip the meat every few minutes to prevent the marinade from burning.
If baking the pieces, flip halfway through (it will take about 20-30 minutes depending on the thickness of the pork slices).
Alfred says
Hi Adina, Thanks for a great recipe. I am a stickler for preserving the integrity of the English language and I thought that you would like to know about Marinade (it's a noun) and Marinate (the verb) Or specifically, one marinates in a marinade. I hope that helps.
Cheers, Alfred.
Adina says
Thank you.