Bossam

Name: Bossam
Cook time: 100 min
Total time: 100 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Korean
Ingredients: 1.2 kg Pork Belly, skin on, in one slab; 2 l Water; 120ml Rice Wine, cheongju or soju; 2 tbsp Doenjang, Korean fermented soybean paste; 2 tbsp Soy Sauce; 1 tbsp Sugar; 8 Garlic Cloves, smashed; 1 thumb of Ginger, sliced; 1 Onion, halved; 2 Scallions, cut into large pieces; 1 tsp Black Peppercorns, whole; 1 small Napa Cabbage, about 1–1.2 kg, leaves separated; 3 tbsp Coarse Sea Salt, for salting; 400g Korean Radish (Mu), mu, julienned; 2 tbsp Gochugaru, Korean chili flakes; 1 tbsp Saeujeot, salted fermented shrimp; rinsed and finely chopped; 1 tbsp Rice Vinegar; 1 tsp Sugar; 1 tsp Garlic, minced; 1 Scallion, thinly sliced; 1 tsp Sesame Oil; 1 tsp Sesame Seeds, toasted; 2 tbsp Doenjang; 1 tbsp Gochujang; 1 Scallion, finely chopped; 1 Garlic Clove, small, minced; 1 tbsp Sesame Oil; 1 tsp Sugar, or honey; 1 tsp Sesame Seeds, toasted; 2 tbsp Saeujeot, salted fermented shrimp, rinsed and minced

Bossam is a comforting Korean dish of tender, gently simmered pork belly served with crisp blanched cabbage and tangy, spicy condiments for wrapping. The pork is simmered with savory aromatics until melt-in-your-mouth soft, then sliced and enjoyed with quick-made radish kimchi, a savory ssamjang, fresh perilla leaves and crunchy garlic — perfect for communal, hands-on eating.

Bossam is a comforting Korean dish of tender, gently simmered pork belly served with crisp blanched cabbage and tangy, spicy condi... Show more

Traditional Korean Recipe

Health Grade

C- · Balanced

Rating

4.2

Time

1 hr40 min

Price

7,51 €

Calories

1417 kcal

high protein

low carb

keto

low sugar

Method

Salt the cabbage

If the leaves are still attached, separate the Napa Cabbage into individual leaves, then sprinkle them evenly with the Coarse Sea Salt, focusing on the thick white ribs. Let them sit for 20 minutes until the leaves soften and bend easily, then rinse well and drain, squeezing out extra water so the wraps stay crisp, not soggy.

Prep aromatics

Smash the Garlic Cloves, slice the Ginger, halve the Onion, and cut the Scallion into a few large pieces so they can perfume the broth without breaking apart.

Simmer the pork

Put the Pork Belly in a large pot with the Water, Rice Wine, Doenjang, Soy Sauce, Sugar, the smashed garlic, ginger, onion, scallion, and the Black Peppercorns. Bring it to a boil, skim off any foam, then lower the heat to a gentle simmer and cook for 60 minutes, partly covered. Turn off the heat and let the pork rest in the broth for 15 minutes so it stays juicy and easy to slice.

Prep radish salad

Julienne the Korean Radish into thin matchsticks, thinly slice the Scallion, mince the Garlic, and rinse and finely chop the Saeujeot so the salad mixes quickly and evenly.

Mix the salad

Toss the radish with the Gochugaru, saeujeot, Rice Vinegar, sugar, minced garlic, sliced scallion, Sesame Oil, Sesame Seeds, and a pinch of Salt. Mix until every strand is evenly coated, then let it stand for 10 minutes so the seasoning sinks in.

Stir ssamjang

In a small bowl, mix the doenjang with the Gochujang, finely chopped scallion, a little minced garlic, sesame oil, sugar, and sesame seeds until you have a thick, scoopable paste.

Mix shrimp dip

Stir together saeujeot, Rice Vinegar, Gochugaru, a little minced garlic, Sesame Oil, and a little finely sliced scallion until the dip looks wet, glossy, and punchy.

Prep the wraps

Arrange the Perilla Leaf leaves on a platter, then thinly slice the Korean Green Chili Pepper and the garlic cloves for serving. Set them out with the cabbage so the table is ready for wrapping.

Serve the bossam

Lift the pork out of the broth and slice it across the grain into bite-size pieces while it is still warm. Pile it onto a platter with the cabbage leaves, perilla leaves, sliced chilies, sliced garlic, the radish salad, ssamjang, and saeujeot dip, then let everyone build little wraps with a piece of pork, a spoonful of salad, and a dab of sauce.