Korean Soy Scallion Grilled Pork Jowl

Quick answer

Total time: 38 min
Level: Medium
Servings: 2 servings
Ingredients: 8

About this dish

Hangjeongsal ganjang-pa-gui is a soy-scallion grilled pork jowl dish where one-centimeter-thick slices are marinated for fifteen minutes in a sauce of dark soy sauce, cooking wine, minced garlic, sugar, sesame oil, and black pepper, then grilled alongside thick-cut scallion segments over medium-high heat for three to four minutes per side.

Hangjeongsal, the jowl cut taken from a narrow strip along the neck, is one of the rarest and most prized cuts of the pig, yielding only a small amount per animal. Its fine intramuscular fat and firm yet springy chew set it apart from belly or collar cuts that are more readily available. The technique of reserving one-third of the marinade to baste during the final minute of cooking is what gives the dish its signature lacquered surface: the fresh sauce hits a hot, already-caramelized pan and almost instantly transforms into a sweet-salty glaze that coats each slice. The scallions are left largely untouched until the last moments over high heat, where the exterior chars while the interior moisture turns to steam, concentrating natural sugars into something close to caramel and adding a layer of smokiness to the soy-based glaze. Keeping the marinating time strictly under twenty minutes is essential because extended contact with soy sauce draws moisture from the meat through osmosis, oversalting the interior and dulling the richness that makes this particular cut worth seeking out.

Ingredients

servings

IngredientAmountUnit

pork jowl450 gg

scallion2 stalkstalk

soy sauce3 tbsptbsp

cooking wine1½ tbsptbsp

minced garlic1 tbsptbsp

sugar1 tbsptbsp

sesame oil1 tbsptbsp

black pepper½ tsptsp

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Instructions

Read the steps as a cooking flow: prep, heat, seasoning, doneness control, and finish.

6 steps

1

Prep

Slice 450 g pork jowl into 1 cm pieces and cut 2 scallion stalks into thick 5 cm lengths.

Pat the pork surface dry so the marinade clings well instead of becoming watery.
2

Season

Mix 3 tablespoons soy sauce, 1.5 tablespoons cooking wine, minced garlic, sugar, sesame oil, and black pepper until the sugar dissolves. Set aside one-third of this sauce for basting during cooking.
3

Control

Coat the pork with the remaining two-thirds of the sauce, turning each piece so both sides are covered.

Marinate for only 15 minutes, because going past 20 minutes can make the meat too salty.
4

Control

Heat a pan or grill well over medium-high heat, then spread the pork in a single layer without overlapping.

Cook the first side undisturbed for 3 to 4 minutes until browned grill marks or caramelized patches appear.
5

Finish

Turn the pork over and add the scallion pieces to the open spaces in the pan.

Do not keep flipping the scallions; let their outsides char lightly so their sweetness concentrates while the pork finishes cooking.
6

Finish

During the final minute, brush the reserved sauce thinly over the pork surface to make it glossy.

As soon as the sauce bubbles and the edges turn caramel colored, remove everything and serve immediately.

Practical Cooking Checks

The cues that matter most while cooking.

Key technique: Hangjeongsal Ganjang-pa-gui uses a two-stage soy glaze to coat grilled one-centimeter pork jowl.
Finish cue: During the final minute, brush the reserved sauce thinly over the pork surface to make it glossy.
Avoid this: Keep marinating under 20 minutes to avoid overly salty pork.