Hangjeongsal-gui (항정살구이, Grilled Pork Jowl)

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Tabletop grill, charcoal grill, grill pan, or 30 cm cast-iron skillet
• •Long tongs
• •Kitchen scissors
• •Instant-read thermometer
• •Sharp knife for scallion strips

Instructions

1. 1

   Cut and dry

   If the butcher has not sliced the hangjeongsal, chill it for 30 minutes until firm, then cut it across the layers into 8 to 10 mm slices. Cut long strips into 5 to 6 cm pieces so they turn easily on the grill. Pat every piece dry with paper towel. Pork jowl has enough fat of its own; surface moisture only keeps it from browning.

2. 2

   Season lightly

   Sprinkle the pork with 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, then let it stand 10 minutes while you set the table. Do not marinate it in sugar or soy. Sugar burns before this cut has time to render, and soy pushes the pork's own flavor out of the way.

   Keep the salted pork at room temperature no longer than 30 minutes. If dinner is delayed, return it to the refrigerator and bring it back out just before grilling.
3. 3

   Prepare the table

   Stir together 2 tablespoons sesame oil, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper for gireumjang. Soak the scallion strips in cold water for 10 minutes to tame their sharpness, drain well, then toss with soy sauce, rice vinegar, gochugaru, sesame oil, sugar, minced garlic, and sesame seeds just before serving. Keep the ssam leaves, sliced garlic, chilies, and ssamjang within reach. Korean barbecue is cooked in the center, but finished by each person's hand.

4. 4

   Heat the grill

   Heat a tabletop grill, charcoal grill, grill pan, or wide cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. If using a skillet, wipe it with 1 teaspoon neutral oil, just enough to make a thin shine. The surface is ready when a pork edge sizzles the moment it touches. Set up ventilation before the meat goes down; pork jowl sputters as the fat loosens.

5. 5

   Grill first side

   Lay the pork in a single layer with space between pieces. Cook without moving for 2 to 3 minutes, until the underside has deep golden spots and the fat at the edges turns glossy and translucent. If the pieces are crowded, they release liquid and cook pale. Give them room and the layered edges crisp.

6. 6

   Turn and finish

   Turn each piece and cook 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 minutes more. For thick slices, stand the fatty edge against the pan or grill for 20 to 30 seconds to crisp it. The center should be just cooked through, still juicy, and at least 63 C / 145 F if you check with a thermometer. Rest the meat 3 minutes, or cut one piece open and confirm there is no raw center.

7. 7

   Serve at once

   Move the pork to a warm plate, or keep cooking small batches at the table. Cut larger pieces with kitchen scissors into bite-size pieces. Eat the first piece plain, then the next with a touch of gireumjang. After that, wrap it in lettuce or perilla with pa-muchim, a thin slice of garlic, and a little ssamjang. The sauce should support the pork, not bury it.

Chef Tips

• •Ask the butcher for hangjeongsal, not ordinary moksal (neck shoulder). True pork jowl has narrow, repeated lines of fat through pink meat and feels firm, not floppy. If moksal is all your market has, cook it the same way, but expect less springy chew.
• •The slice matters more than the grill. Eight to ten millimeters is the measure in my notebook: thin enough to cook through quickly, thick enough that the center stays juicy while the edges brown.
• •Buying it pre-sliced is a safe shortcut. Skipping the drying step is not. Wet pork jowl cooks pale and greasy before it has a chance to crisp at the edges.
• •Keep the seasoning restrained. This is not the cut for a sweet red marinade. The pork, sesame salt, scallion salad, and ssam leaves give you enough balance.
• •For the table, cold beer, soju, or chilled boricha (barley tea) all suit this better than a heavy drink. The pork is rich, so the drink should clean the mouth, not add more sweetness.

Advance Preparation

• •The pork can be sliced up to 1 day ahead. Lay it flat in a covered container and keep it refrigerated, then salt it only 10 minutes before cooking.
• •The scallions can be cut and held in cold water up to 2 hours ahead. Drain and dress them at the last minute, or they wilt and lose their clean bite.
• •The gireumjang can be mixed 1 day ahead. Stir before serving, because the salt settles at the bottom.
• •Leftover cooked pork keeps 3 days refrigerated. Reheat quickly in a hot skillet and eat with rice, but know that hangjeongsal is best the minute it leaves the grill.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 210g)