Samgyeopsal

No matter how you try to spell it in English, the Korean dish samgyeopsal is good to eat. Samgyeopsal is a vital part of the Korean diet and is probably the most popular dish to eat out. It is the heart of Korean barbeque. It consists of pork belly grilled on a table-top grill at the dining table. The pork is then cut up and wrapped in lettuce leaves, with garlic and any other sides added to it before it is wrapped up and shoved in your mouth.

I've been planning on getting a table-top grill and grill pan so I could have a samgyeopsal party. I finally broke down and got them. The grill is something that everyone in Korea has. This one cost $14. They all take a small can of gas that is sold in every corner shop in Korea. The can lasts for about 2 hours of constant cooking. The grill pan I got at the new Lotte Mart (kind of like Korean Wal Mart). It was the perfect pan for me. $20. It has a drain in the middle for the fat and grease to drip out. Once the garlic is cooked, it is moved to the side (by the handles) to keep warm.

Well, I went to Lotte Mart with Brandon when I got the pan. On the way home, we stopped at a grocery store and bought the pork to break in the pan. So, my party was just a party of two! This impromptu dinner turned out quite well. Here is the table all set and ready to go.

Starting at the bottom left of the picture there is: ssam-jang sauce which is red pepper paste mixed with soy bean paste. It's nice and mild. Next there is sliced garlic in the upper left corner. Beside that (partially hidden by the pan) are some steamed bean sprouts. On the right side of the grill is the pork (mmmm... pork), 2 kinds here, pork belly and pork shoulder. Lastly there is the lettuce leaves.In this pic on the very far bottom left corner you can see the last touch to the dinner... kim-chi. This was what I did on a short nottice. But it was quite quick to get going. Here is the pork cooking. Does it look happy to you? I think it's ready to get in my belly! Notice the garlic cooked and warming on the left side. And what drink do you serve with samgyeopsal? Beer of course. Here is Brandon's hand holding a 1.6 liter bottle of Hite beer. This is a plastic bottle. Pretty strange. This is a cheap Korean brand of beer, but it does the job nicely. I really think I should be the new spokesperson for Hite beer. What do you think? By the way... I have so much grey hair at my temples, it's ridiculous.

What a glorious night. Delicious pork, good conversation, cold beer, and kim-chi. I couldn't think of a more perfect way to christen the new grill and grill pan. This is also a very cheap way to eat. $6 worth of meat and lettuce will feed two people quite easily. Sure, your arteries may be screaming "NO MORE PORK!!!!" but we'll just ignore that for now. "Shut up and enjoy the beer!"