Pork Belly on the BBQ — from KBBQ to Pulled Pork

Samgyeopsal—literally "three-layered meat"—is the most commonly eaten BBQ dish in Korea. Thick slices of pork belly (unmarinated) are grilled on a cast-iron tabletop grill, cut into pieces, and wrapped in lettuce with fermented shrimp paste (saeujeot), gochujang, garlic, and kimchi.

There's no marinade, no rub—the fat from the pork belly is the flavor maker. The technique is simple: high heat, frequent turning, eat as soon as the edges are crispy. The dipping sauces and side dishes do the rest.

• Technique: Direct heat on cast-iron tabletop grill, no marinade
• Thickness: 1–1.5 cm slices
• Served with: Lettuce, gochujang, garlic, kimchi, saeujeot

In the American BBQ tradition, pork belly is smoked low & slow for two classic dishes: pulled pork (when the belly is cooked together with the shoulder) and pork belly burnt ends—cubes of pork belly that are slathered with sauce after smoking and cooked for another hour until they caramelize on the outside.

Pork belly burnt ends are originally a Kansas City tradition—the "candies of the BBQ world." They call for a sweet-smoky rub and a solid base of smoking wood (hickory or applewood).

• Technique: Low & slow, 110°C, 6–8 hours for the belly
• Smoking wood: Hickory, applewood, cherry
• Rub: Memphis BBQ Rub — sweet-smoky profile

Char siu—Cantonese roasted pork—is one of the most recognizable BBQ dishes in the world. Long strips of pork belly or neck are marinated in a mixture of hoisin sauce, soy sauce, honey, shaoxing rice wine, and five-spice powder, then roasted in a wood-fired oven or on a rack until the outside caramelizes to a deep red.

The color traditionally comes from red yeast rice or red food coloring—modern versions also use beet juice. Char siu is the filling for baozi and the topping for char siu fan (rice with roasted pork).

• Technique: High-temperature roasting, 200°C+, regular glazing
• Marinade: Hoisin, soy sauce, honey, five-spice powder, shaoxing
• Color: Deep red-brown caramelized layer

Lechon liempo is Filipino-style roasted pork belly—the belly is rolled with a filling of lemongrass, garlic, onion, and pandan, tied up, and roasted for hours on a spit over charcoal. The result: a crispy, charred exterior (crackling) with juicy, flavored meat inside.

Lechon—the whole pig on a spit—is the national festive dish of the Philippines, but liempo (belly) is the more accessible version for home. Eaten with lechon sauce (liver-vinegar sauce) or sarsa.

• Technique: Spit-roasting over charcoal, 3–4 hours
• Filling: Lemongrass, garlic, pandan, onion
• Characteristic: Crispy crackling exterior

• Whole pork belly (skin-on): Spit-roasting or low & slow — crackling requires high final temperature
• Slices (1–1.5 cm): Direct heat, KBBQ-style — quick, crispy
• Cubes (3x3 cm): Burnt ends — low & slow + caramelization phase
• Strips: Char siu — high-temperature roasting with glaze