Bossam (Korean Boiled Pork)

Bossam is juicy and tender Korean boiled pork belly served with lettuce, kimchi, and topping sauce. Learn how to get rid of gamy smell of pork while boiling

If you made a large batch of cabbage kimchi from scratch, you should follow the tradition of simmering Korean pork belly to enjoy with. The dish is called “Bossam (보쌈)“, Korean boiled pork. Pork belly is commonly used for this particular dish.

Pork belly is a flavorful cut of pork (because it is fatty part of pork, duh!) and depends on how you cook it, it becomes either leathery or juicy.

Here is one method that you can easily make at home to enjoy moist tender pork. And it taste so much better to serve with freshly made kimchi. It is mouthwatering good once you take a bite of it, and you will be hooked on.

There are a couple of method that you can try, either roast in the oven or boil. I have shared oven roasted pork belly recipe about 3 years ago.

One key to make tender and juicy pork bossam is to boil the pork. You can also get rid of major fat out of the belly by using simmering method which results in tender piece of meat left.

However, you have to be mindful of gamy smell and taste that can linger while simmering and it can bother some people. Koreans do not like gamy meat at all.

So, here is a recipe that can take care of that matter. You will have moist, tender pork belly with clean aftertaste. How cool is that?

Pork Belly

You must get nice thick pork bellies. I like to use the one without the skin. If you like the chewiness of pork skin, you can get the one with. You can either get the entire slab of belly to feed a crowd or get a couple of small pieces. Make sure they are at least 1-1/2 inch thickness.

3 ingredients to get rid of gamy smell

1. Rice starch water
2. Korean soybean paste (doenjang)
3. Bay leaves

Collect some rice starch water in a pot. Rice starch water is basically first or second rinsed water from the washing rice. If this doesn’t make any sense to you, which I think it is, click on my doenjang jjigae post to get an idea.

Bossam Recipe Instructions

Bring the stock to boil first, then add the pork. Turn the heat to low and let it simmer for 45-50 minutes.

Meanwhile make topping sauce by combining Korean soybean paste(doenjang) and chili paste(gochujang), with a little bit of minced garlic.

When the meat are ready, take them out.

Slice into 1/4″ thickness or whatever thickness you desire.

Arrange on a serving platter with fresh kimchi, topping sauce, and variety of lettuce leaves.

Make Korean lettuce wraps with pork belly, kimchi, and topping sauce. This is the very “Bossam”! Bossam literally means wrap thing around to eat.

Another great side dish to serve with bossam will be minari salad. Minari is Korean water dropwort (water parsley). If you can get hold of this detoxifying vegetable, get it and make the minari salad. It is so good together with this Korean boiled pork.

Does this bossam bring your Korean appetite back to you? I am not a big fan of pork but I can definitely eat this at least once a week. Pretty good!

Hope you can try this and be able to enjoy the juicy Korean pork as much as I did. Cheers!

~ Holly

Bossam (Korean boiled pork)

Holly Ford

Bossam is Korean boiled pork belly. The juicy tender pork belly is often served with lettuce, kimchi, and topping sauce.

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Prep Time 5 mins

Cook Time 50 mins

Total Time 55 mins

Course Main Course

Cuisine Korean

Servings 4 people

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 2 strips thick pork belly about 1-1/2 lb
• 6-7 cups rice starch water
• 1 Korean leek o regular leek
• 1 small onion
• 2 tbsp Korean soybean paste (doenjang)
• 3 bay leaves
• 1/4 cup white wine

For topping sauce

• 2 tbsp Korean soybean paste (doenjang)
• 2 tbsp Korean chili paste (gochujang)
• 1 garlic clove finely minced

To serve

• assorted lettuce and perilla leaves
• cabbage kimchi freshly made kimchi preferred
• freshly cooked rice

Instructions

 

• In a soup pot, combine rice starch water, leek, onion, soybean paste, bay leaves, and wine. Bring to boil.
• Add the pork belly and reduce the heat to low. Cover with a lid and simmer for 45-50 minutes.
• Meanwhile make the topping sauce by mixing the pastes and the garlic.
• When the pork is done, slice into desired thickness, about 1/4-inch.
• Serve with assorted lettuce, kimchi, topping sauce, and rice.

Keyword bossam, doenjang, Korean, korean food, Korean soybean paste, pork, pork belly, rice starch water

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!