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| Satisfy your Samgyeopsal with a different twist - do it the tuna way! |
Samgyeopsal has recently become a big hit among Filipinos (who developed some fondness on
Korean cuisine). This was probably due to cultural exchanges that occurred during the past years.
Or was it just one way? Anyway, I don't know if you usually experience this yourself, but there are countless times when I seem to deeply crave for this dish. One day, I couldn't take the cravings anymore that I decided to cook one my own, and thus I came up with this blog post, "
Cooking Samgyeopsal Grilled Pork Belly at Home". (Feel free to check this other post out for the Original Pork Belly Samgyeopsal).
Days after I cooked my own Pork Samgyeopsal, the cravings came back, and this time with reinforcement. Unfortunately, we don't have any pork belly left in the fridge. Feeling the need to satisfy the craving, I just improvised using a canned tuna (since that was the best I found when I was scavenging some ingredients). Anyway, it turned out not bad (or so I thought), and I felt that it would be nice to share it here!
Note: I know Samgyeopsal is really for either pork or beef, but again this is just improvisation.
Ingredients and Things You Need
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| Making Tuna "Samgyeopsal" the Easy Way with 4 main ingredients |
Alright, the ingredients are really simple but may not be readily available for you, so a
trip to a Korean Store or Market may be necessary. On the other hand, when you have these with you already, the next procedures will just be a walk in the park:
- 1 Tablespoon of Sesame Oil or any other oil if unavailable
- 1 Canned Tuna (184g) - preferably not the one in oil
- 5 tablespoon of a Korean Barbecue Sauce
- 1 and 1/2 table spoon of soybean paste
- Lettuce or other leafy vegetables
Cooking and Prep Time: 7 minutes
This will make a serving that is good for 2-4 people.
The Cooking Procedures
The first thing to do is to heat the sesame oil on a pan, and afterwards pour in the canned tuna for mild cooking. After a minute or two, pour in the
5 tablespoon of Korean Barbecue Sauce you bought in a Korean store (if you want this particular brand, it's
Ottogi). Mix until the sauce gets distributed evenly.
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Step 1: Cook the Canned Tuna in a hot pan using Sesame Oil (or any other oil)
Step 2: Add the Korean Barbecue Sauce |
Alright, actually you are almost done. That's how easy it is to prepare this dish, once you have all the necessary ingredients. To perform the last procedure, you need to add in the
1.5 tablespoon of soybean paste. This will be the ingredient that will unlock a lot of flavor from the dish.
Tip: You may add more of the soybean paste for a spicier and tastier, but you may also reduce it if you don't want to be surprised by the flavor.
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| Step 3: Add the exciting flavor - from the Korean soybean paste |
Mix it again to spread out the sauce. Remove the heat from the pan, and let it settle for a minute. Afterwards, you are done!
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| The Finished Product - Tuna Samgyeopsal cooked at home! |
How to Enjoy the Tuna Samgyeopsal or any Samgyeopsal for that Matter?
Get a piece of lettuce, and put rice on top (preferably the sticky one).
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| How to eat Samgyeopsal with a lettuce? |
Get a spoonful of the tuna, and lay it on the rice.
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| Tuna Samgyeopsal Improvisation for an instant lunch or dinner! |
Roll up and dig in!
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| The rolled up Tuna Samgyeopsal with Lettuce and Rice - Eating it the Korean Way! |
Just in case you want to add more flavor to your rolled up delight, you may choose to dip it in the soybean paste. This particular brand (which I can't identify because everything is in Korean writing) features a sweet and tasty blend with a not-so-overwhelming kick of spice.
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| The perfect pair (sauce) for a samgyeopsal - the Korean Soybean Paste |
Hopefully you found this simple recipe I came up with useful and delicious, in case you'll try it yourself. Also, please do share what you think of this improvised recipe. Or you may also share how you love Korean Samgyeopsal!
