Korean Bossam Recipe — Boiled Pork Belly with Kimchi and Lettuce

Bossam has two distinct identities in Korean food culture. In everyday restaurants, it's a straightforward boiled pork wrap — a casual weeknight meal. In its traditional form, bossam is the dish made during kimchi-making season (kimjang) in late autumn, when households gather to make hundreds of heads of kimchi. The freshly-made kimchi — not yet fermented, bright and crisp — is the essential accompaniment. Fresh kimchi and bossam eaten together is one of the great Korean flavor combinations.

The key to bossam is the aromatic simmering liquid. Doenjang (fermented soybean paste), ginger, garlic, scallions, and whole spices remove any pork funk and replace it with a clean, savory depth. The pork should smell clean and slightly smoky when you slice it.

What You Need

The pork:

• 800g-1kg pork belly, skin-on if possible
• Water to cover

Simmering aromatics:

• 3 tbsp doenjang (fermented soybean paste)
• 5 cloves garlic, smashed
• 1 thumb fresh ginger, sliced
• 3 scallions
• 1 onion, halved
• 1 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tbsp sake or soju
• 1 tsp whole black peppercorns
• 2 dried bay leaves
• Optional: 1 tbsp dwaeji doenjang (pork-specific bean paste, or regular doenjang)

For serving:

• Napa cabbage or perilla leaves (ssam)
• Kkakdugi (cubed radish kimchi) or baechu kimchi
• Saeujeot (salted fermented shrimp) — essential condiment
• Ssam sauce (doenjang + gochujang blend — see below)
• Sliced garlic, sliced green chili
• Optional: fresh oysters (the traditional autumn accompaniment)

How to Make It

Blanch the pork first: Cover pork with cold water in a pot. Bring to a full boil. Boil 5 minutes. Drain. Rinse pork under cold water. This removes foam, surface impurities, and excess blood, which produces a cleaner-tasting final result.

Simmer in aromatics: Return blanched pork to pot. Cover with fresh cold water. Add all aromatics. Bring to a boil. Reduce to a steady medium simmer. Cook 1.5-2 hours.

Test for doneness: Insert a chopstick into the thickest part. It should go in with almost no resistance. The pork is done when it visibly softens and the skin (if present) turns translucent and gelatinous.

Rest: Remove pork from broth. Rest 10-15 minutes before slicing. Slice against the grain, 5-6mm thick.

Serve immediately. Bossam is served warm, not hot. It should be sliced and eaten within 20-30 minutes.

Ssam Sauce

Mix together:

• 2 tbsp doenjang
• 1 tbsp gochujang
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• 1 tsp sesame seeds
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 2 tsp water (to thin slightly)

Eating Bossam

Each wrap: a cabbage leaf or perilla leaf, one slice of pork, a small piece of kkakdugi or fresh kimchi, a dab of ssam sauce or saeujeot, and optionally a slice of garlic. Fold into a tight bundle and eat in one bite.

The saeujeot (salted shrimp) is a critical flavor element — its brininess cuts through the rich pork fat. Do not skip it.

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The broth left over from simmering the pork makes an excellent soup base. Strain and use to make Korean bean sprout soup (kongnamul guk) or as a stock for other dishes.