Bossam is pork boiled until it’s flavorful and tender, and because bo-ssam literally means “wrapped”, it is served with various vegetable side dishes and sauces to be wrapped together and eaten in one bite!
What is Bossam?
Bossam is a traditional dish in Korea. This is commonly served to family or community members who helped out during “gimjang” or kimchi-making season. People gather at the end of the activity over this delicious boiled pork which pairs perfectly with their freshly made kimchi.
Aside from that, I personally love this dish because it’s keto, it’s easy to prepare for the family or meal prep, and it’s actually a healthy dish!
What You’ll Need
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Bossam is super simple to make. You’ll need several ingredients but the main aim of these is to enhance the flavor of the meat and to remove the strong pork odor.
Pork Belly
For the cut of pork, I used pork belly, but pork shoulder or pork butt is also amenable for this recipe. Simply choose one that has a balanced amount of fat and meat so it remains juicy.
Aromatics
For the aromatics, you’ll need garlic cloves, half an onion, two stalks of scallions, ginger, Korean radish, and bay leaf. If you can’t find Korean radish, you can also use apple. In place of bay leaf, you can use star anise or cinnamon sticks.
You don’t really need to peel or chop anything, because they will be discarded anyway after boiling the pork.
Seasonings
For the seasonings, you will need salt, peppercorns, ground coffee beans, soybean paste, and soju.
The secret ingredient here is the coffee! Meanwhile, soybean paste is a common Korean pantry ingredient that is similar to miso. It complements the pork really well! Soju, on the other hand, removes any odor and also stands as a tenderizer to the pork. In place of it, you can also use mirin.
How to Make Bossam?
- In a pot, add water, the aromatics, seasonings, and the pork. Ensure that the pork is submerged well. Put the heat on high, let it come to a boil, and leave it boiling for 10 minutes.
- Afterwards, put the heat on medium, and leave the pork belly to boil for 40-50 minutes until it is tender but not mushy. We want the pork to retain its shape so that it can be sliced beautifully.
- Place the pork belly in an ice bath for a couple of minutes to prevent it from cooking further. This also helps hold its shape.
What to Serve With and How to Eat Bossam?
There are several things you need to prepare to enjoy Bossam in the best possible way:
- Side Dishes: Radish Salad, Chive Kimchi, Radish Kimchi, or the best is Fresh Napa Cabbage Kimchi
- Dipping Sauce: Ssamjang or Salted Shrimp
- Other Vegetables: Lettuce, Perilla Leaves, Garlic Slices, and Chili Slices
Dip the pork in your choice of sauce, place it on top of the lettuce, then layer kimchi, garlic, and/or chili slices, and wrap it up to make a ssam. Take a big bite or eat it whole and enjoy!
While this is how Koreans commonly eat this dish, you can also serve this with multigrain rice and a side dish on your meal prep. Just make sure to slice the pork only before eating it to retain its moisture. Microwave or steam to reheat.
Other Korean pork dishes you may like:
Make sure to leave a rating, a comment, or tag me on Facebook, Instagram, or Tiktok when you chop them up! Yeobosayo!
Korean Boiled Pork Belly (Bossam)
Ingredients
- 7 cups Water
- 2 lbs Pork Belly Slabs 2-inch thick
- 1/2 of Big While Onion Whole
- 150 grams Korean Radish Whole
- 80 grams Ginger Big slices
- 2 stalks Scallions
- 10 cloves Garlic Cloves Peeled
- 7 pcs Bay Leaves
- 30 pcs Black Peppercorn
- 2 tbsp Salt
- 2 tbsp Soybean Paste
- 1 tsp Coffee Grounds
- 1 shot Soju
Cold Bath
- 5 cups Cold Water
- 1 tbsp Salt
Instructions
- Let the water boil.
- Once boiling, add onion, Korean radish, ginger, scallions, and garlic, and place the pork belly in there.
- Season with bay leaf, peppercorns, salt, soybean paste, coffee grounds, and soju.
- Let boil for 10 minutes in high heat, making sure the pork is fully submerged.
- Continue to boil for 50 more minutes on medium-high heat.
- To check if it’s done, poke it with a chopstick. If it comes through quickly, it is done.
- Remove the pork belly from the pot and place it in the cold bath right after. Set it to sit in cold water for about a minute.
- Slice and serve with kimchi.
Can’t wait to try! Can you make this with pork shoulder as well??
Yes!!!