Bossam is a beloved Korean dish of tender, slow-cooked pork belly served with crisp lettuce or perilla leaves, spicy radish salad, and tangy kimchi. It’s a communal meal designed for sharing, where each bite balances rich, savory pork with bright, fermented accompaniments. This recipe delivers melt-in-your-mouth meat with a deeply flavorful broth, and while it takes time, the hands-on work is minimal—making it a rewarding weekend project.
Ingredients
- 3 lb (1.4 kg) pork belly, skin-on or off, in one piece
- 1 onion, quartered
- 1 leek, white part only, halved lengthwise
- 6 cloves garlic, smashed
- 1 thumb-size piece ginger, sliced
- 2 scallions, cut into 2-inch pieces
- 1/2 cup (120 ml) Korean soy sauce (or regular soy sauce)
- 1/4 cup (60 ml) mirin (or dry white wine)
- 2 tbsp (30 g) brown sugar
- 1 tbsp (15 g) doenjang (Korean soybean paste) or miso
- 1 tsp black peppercorns
- 4 cups (1 L) water
- For serving: 2 heads red-leaf or butter lettuce, 1 bunch perilla leaves (optional), 2 cups (300 g) kimchi, 1 recipe ssamjang (see below)
For ssamjang (dipping sauce):
- 1/4 cup (60 g) doenjang
- 2 tbsp (30 g) gochujang (Korean chili paste)
- 1 tbsp (15 ml) honey or sugar
- 1 tbsp (15 ml) sesame oil
- 1 tsp sesame seeds
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 2 tbsp (30 ml) water
Instructions
- Rinse the pork belly under cold water and pat dry. Place it in a large pot or Dutch oven.
- Add the onion, leek, garlic, ginger, scallions, soy sauce, mirin, brown sugar, doenjang, peppercorns, and water. The liquid should mostly cover the pork; add more water if needed.
- Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce to a gentle simmer. Skim off any foam that rises to the surface for the first 10 minutes.
- Cover and simmer gently for 2 hours, turning the pork once halfway through. The meat should be fork-tender but not falling apart.
- While the pork cooks, make the ssamjang: stir together all ssamjang ingredients in a small bowl. Set aside.
- When the pork is done, remove it from the broth and let it rest on a cutting board for 15 minutes. (Discard the broth or strain and save it for soups.)
- Slice the pork into 1/4-inch (6 mm) thick pieces, against the grain. The skin, if left on, should be soft and gelatinous—keep it attached.
- Serve the warm pork with lettuce leaves, perilla leaves, kimchi, and ssamjang. To eat, place a slice of pork on a leaf, add a dab of ssamjang and a piece of kimchi, then wrap and eat in one bite.
Tips
- Don’t skip the rest: Letting the pork rest after simmering keeps the juices in the meat, making it more succulent and easier to slice cleanly.
- Use the right cut: Pork belly is traditional, but pork shoulder (Boston butt) also works. It’s leaner and slightly drier, but still delicious. If using shoulder, increase cooking time by 30–45 minutes.
- Substitute hard-to-find ingredients: No perilla leaves? Use shiso or extra lettuce. No doenjang? Use miso paste. No mirin? Use dry sherry or a splash of white wine with a pinch of sugar.
- Make it ahead: The cooked pork can be refrigerated in its broth for up to 3 days; reheat gently in the broth to keep it moist.
Serving Suggestions
Serve bossam as the centerpiece of a Korean meal with steamed rice, additional banchan (side dishes) like pickled radish or seasoned spinach, and a bowl of the strained cooking broth as a light soup. For a party, set out a platter of sliced pork, a basket of lettuce leaves, and small bowls of kimchi and ssamjang so everyone can build their own wraps.
Variations
- Spicy bossam: Add 1–2 tbsp gochugaru (Korean chili flakes) to the simmering broth for a subtle heat in the meat.
- Garlicky bossam: Serve with thin slices of raw garlic and fresh chili peppers to add a punchy bite.
- Bossam with oysters: For a coastal twist, place a fresh oyster on top of the pork before wrapping—a classic pairing in Korea.
- Pressure cooker version: Cook the pork in an Instant Pot on high pressure for 45 minutes, then natural release for 15 minutes. The broth will be less concentrated, so reduce it after cooking if you want a richer flavor.
Storage and Reheating
Leftover pork can be refrigerated in an airtight container, submerged in the strained broth, for up to 4 days. To reheat, gently warm the pork in the broth in a covered pot over medium-low heat until heated through (about 10 minutes), or microwave individual portions for 1–2 minutes. The pork can also be frozen in the broth for up to 2 months; thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating. The ssamjang keeps in the fridge for up to 1 week.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use pork loin instead of belly? Yes, but it will be much leaner and drier. To compensate, wrap the loin in bacon or fatback before simmering, or reduce cooking time to 1.5 hours and check for tenderness earlier.
Do I have to boil the pork for the full 2 hours? Yes, that long, gentle simmer is what breaks down the collagen in the belly, making it tender and juicy. Cutting the time short will result in chewy, tough meat.
What if I don’t have Korean soy sauce? Regular soy sauce works fine; just reduce the salt slightly if you’re sensitive to sodium. The flavor will be a bit less complex, but still good.
Can I make this in a slow cooker? Absolutely. Cook on low for 6–8 hours, or on high for 4–5 hours, until fork-tender. The broth will be thinner, so you may want to reduce it on the stove afterward.
Is the skin necessary? No, but it adds a lovely gelatinous texture. If you prefer crisp skin, you can sear the skin side in a hot pan after boiling until blistered and crunchy, which is a delicious contrast.
How do I know when the pork is done? It should be fork-tender: a fork should slide in with little resistance, but the meat should still hold its shape. If it shreds easily, it’s slightly overcooked but still fine.
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Safety notes: safe minimum internal temperatures from USDA FSIS; raw and undercooked fish guidance from the U.S. FDA. Food safety notes
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