Korean bossam is a communal dish of tender boiled pork belly sliced thin and wrapped in pickled napa cabbage leaves with homemade ssamjang sauce. The mellow umami of slow-simmered pork contrasts with the crisp, tangy cabbage and spiced dipping sauce.
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Cut the bottom stem of the napa cabbage, so you are left with cabbage leaves. Soak cabbage leaves in salt, vinegar and water. Make sure every leaf is salted so we can squeeze out the mixture.
Remember to flip the napa cabbage every 30 minutes or so until the cabbage has wilted. Once wilted, squeeze out the excess water and set aside in the refrigerator until you make the pork belly wraps.
In a large pot, add onion, green onions, garlic cloves, slices of ginger, black peppercorns, soy sauce, water**, bay leaves, sugar, instant coffee, soybean paste, and soju. Make sure the pot is not too big because we want to ensure enough liquid covers the pork belly.
Heat pot on high heat. When it starts boiling, add your pork belly in. Boil for 20 minutes on high heat covered. Then, reduce heat to low and boil for an additional 50 minutes.
Take out the pork and let it rest (until the bossam has cooled down). Cut the bossam in slices (up to you how thick or thin you like it).
To make the sauce, mix korean red pepper paste with soy bean paste and water. Add in finely minced garlic. Mix together and serve with the bossam.
To make a delicious pork belly wrap, take one napa cabbage leaf. Then, add pork belly, thin slices or raw garlic and ssamjang sauce. This tastes extra delicious with kimchi!
Store cooled sliced pork in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days; reheat gently in a steamer or microwave before serving. Pickled cabbage keeps up to 5 days refrigerated; ssamjang keeps up to 1 week.
Boil for 20 minutes on high heat covered, then reduce to low heat and simmer for an additional 50 minutes (70 minutes total).
Yes. Cook the pork belly, cool completely, slice, and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Prepare the pickled cabbage and ssamjang sauce separately and refrigerate. Assemble wraps fresh before serving.
Pork belly is traditional and essential for bossam. A 2-inch-thick piece ensures tender, fatty slices that pair well with the cabbage and sauce.
Yes. The instant coffee is marked optional in the recipe and adds subtle depth; the bossam is authentic without it.
No. Both are marked optional. They add a light flavor to the broth, but the dish works well without them.
