Bossam is a Korean dish of tender, moist pork belly boiled with aromatics and cooled in its cooking liquid, then sliced and wrapped in salted cabbage leaves with spicy radish salad and fermented shrimp. The meat stays exceptionally tender because it finishes cooking while resting in the broth.
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In a pot, bring water and all the brine ingredients to a boil over medium high heat, and continue to boil for 5 minutes.
Add the pork belly, bring it to a boil. and boil for about 5 minutes, uncovered. Reduce the heat to medium, and cook, covered, until the meat is very tender, 45 to 50 minutes. Cut a small slice and try if tender at 40 minute point before cooking longer. Turn the heat off, and cool the meat in the cooking liquid. This will keep the meat moist.
Thinly slice the meat and serve with the salted cabbage (or lettuce), saewujeot, and musaengchae.
Store cooled pork in its cooking liquid in an airtight container up to 3 days; gently reheat in broth or serve cold. Salted cabbage keeps refrigerated up to 2 days; radish salad best made fresh but keeps 1 day.
Test doneness at the 40-minute mark by cutting a small slice; the meat should be very tender throughout, 45 to 50 minutes total. Cooking time depends on thickness and cut shape.
Yes. Use 12 ounces of brewed coffee or beer and reduce the water by the same amount. Coffee and beer add subtle depth to the broth and tenderize the meat.
Cooling in the broth keeps the meat moist and tender. This is a key step—do not drain immediately after cooking.
Yes. Cook and cool the pork completely in the broth, then refrigerate up to 3 days. Reheat gently in the broth or serve cold. Prepare the salted cabbage and radish salad fresh or up to 1 day ahead.
Use salted anchovy paste, ssamjang (Korean dipping sauce), or doenjang mixed with gochugaru. These provide the salty-funky-umami element that complements the mild pork.
