Ogyeopsal

Thick five-layer pork belly with skin attached, grilled until the skin crackles and the fat renders beautifully.

Ogyeopsal is the five-layered pork belly that includes the skin — one more layer than the familiar samgyeopsal — and it is the skin that makes all the difference, adding a chewy, crackling element that devoted fans describe as the best part of the entire cut. The skin layer requires a slightly longer grill time to render properly, and experienced Korean grillers often press the skin side down onto the grill first so that the fat beneath it has time to soften before the meat layers are cooked. The dish is particularly popular in Jeju Island, where black pigs raised on a diet of barley and vegetables produce an exceptionally clean-tasting ogyeopsal that has become one of the island's most celebrated culinary exports. Visitors to Jeju routinely list a black pig ogyeopsal dinner at a traditional restaurant in Jeju City's Dongmun area as a highlight of the trip. On the mainland it is less common than samgyeopsal but has been growing in popularity as diners seek out more textural contrast in their grilled pork experience. The skin also holds up better against bold accompaniments like raw garlic and green chilli, making each wrap a more complex bite.