Bo-ssam pork wraps are a traditional Korean ssam dish featuring boiled pork belly seasoned with doenjang, garlic, ginger, and hazelnut coffee, served with pickled napa cabbage, spicy oyster radish salad, and fermented shrimp sauce for wrapping into single-bite pouches.
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For cabbage: Combine sugar, vinegar, kosher salt, and water in a large bowl. Mix well until it turns into a clear pickle brine.
Add the cabbage and mix well by hand.
Let it sit for 15 minutes, then mix well and turn it over so the leaves pickle evenly. Repeat this every 10 to 15 minutes for 1 to 2 hours until the cabbage gets soft and withered.
Squeeze out the excess water and refrigerate until ready to serve.
For pork: Add the pork, onion, ginger, garlic, soybean paste, brown sugar, hazelnut coffee powder, and the water to a large pot. Cover and cook for 1 hour over medium high heat.
When it boils vigorously, turn the pork over with a wooden spoon or tongs.
After 1 hour of boiling, turn down the heat to low and cook for another 15 minutes.
Take out the cooked pork and let it cool down until ready to serve.
For spicy oyster radish salad: Cut the radish into matchsticks and put them into a bowl. Mix with the salt and let it sit for 10 minutes.
Squeeze out the excess water and put it back into a bowl.
Take the oysters out of the fridge and wash and drain.
Create a seasoning mixture by combining hot pepper flakes, fish sauce, sugar, garlic, and green onion in a bowl. Mix well with a wooden spoon.
Add the seasoning mixture to the radish and mix well by hand. Add the oysters and mix gently. Add the sesame seeds.
For shrimp sauce: Combine the fermented salted shrimp, sugar, hot pepper flakes, green onion, garlic, and water in a small bowl. Mix well with a spoon. Sprinkle with sesame seeds.
To serve: Slice the pork into 1/8 inch thick pieces. Put them on a large platter.
Add the cabbage, spicy oyster radish salad, and shrimp sauce side by side nicely. Sprinkle with some sesame seeds and serve.
To eat ssam-style: Put a leaf of pickled cabbage on your palm. Add a piece of pork, some oyster radish salad, and a tiny amount of shrimp sauce. Wrap the leaf into a small pouch and eat it whole.
Store cooked pork and pickled cabbage separately in airtight containers for up to 4 days. Reheat pork gently in broth over low heat or serve chilled. Prepare oyster radish salad and shrimp sauce within 2 hours of serving to prevent sogginess.
large pot with lid (for boiling pork) · large bowl (for pickling cabbage)
The hazelnut coffee adds subtle depth and umami to the boiling liquid, enhancing the savory flavor of the pork without making it taste like coffee.
The pork cooks for 1 hour over medium-high heat, then 15 minutes on low heat, for a total of 1 hour 15 minutes. Allow additional time for cooling before serving.
Yes, pickle the cabbage 1–2 hours in advance and refrigerate until serving. It keeps for several days refrigerated.
Saeujeot (fermented salted shrimp) has a more concentrated, briny umami flavor and grainy texture, while fish sauce is liquid and more pungent. Saeujeot adds texture to the shrimp sauce.
Yes, pork shoulder works as stated in the recipe, though it will be leaner. The cooking time remains the same at 1 hour 15 minutes total.
