Bossam Recipe

Prepare pork

Trim any extremely thick fat if desired but keep most fat and skin for tenderness. Rinse the pork and pat dry.

Make aromatic broth

In a large pot add 2 liters of water, quartered onion, smashed garlic cloves, smashed ginger, halved daikon (if using), green onions, bay leaves and whole peppercorns. Bring to a boil.

Season broth

Add 1 tablespoon doenjang (or miso), 1 tablespoon soy sauce, 2 tablespoons rice wine, 1 teaspoon sugar and 1 tablespoon coarse salt to the broth. Stir to dissolve.

Simmer pork

Gently lower the pork into the simmering broth. Reduce heat to maintain a gentle simmer and cook uncovered for 1 to 1 hour 15 minutes (depending on cut and thickness) until meat is tender but still sliceable. For pork shoulder allow toward 1 h 15 min; for belly closer to 1 h.

Rest in broth

Turn off heat and let the pork sit in the hot broth for 15–20 minutes to finish cooking and absorb flavor.

Slice pork

Remove pork and let cool slightly until you can handle it. Reserve some hot broth. Using a sharp knife, slice pork into thin bite-sized pieces (about 3–5 mm thick) against the grain for tenderness.

Finish

If desired, simmer the reserved broth to reduce and brush a little on sliced pork, or drizzle a few drops of toasted sesame oil and sprinkle sesame seeds over the sliced pork.

Prepare leaves: Separate, wash, and drain napa cabbage or lettuce leaves. Keep whole leaves for wrapping.

Warm kimchi: If kimchi is very cold, let it come to room temperature or briefly warm in a small pan to release aroma.

Arrange condiments: Slice raw garlic thinly and green chiles if using. Place ssamjang, pickled radish, kimchi, garlic, chiles and sesame oil in small bowls for diners.

Assemble a wrap: Place a leaf on your palm, add a slice of pork, a small spoon of ssamjang, a piece of kimchi or pickled radish, a slice of garlic and a sliver of chili. Fold leaf around fillings and eat in one bite.

Serve family style: Present platter of sliced pork with bowls of condiments and leaves so people can make wraps. Offer extra hot broth as a palate cleanser if desired.

Salt cabbage

If making bossam-style kimchi, sprinkle 3 tablespoons coarse salt between the cabbage leaves of the quartered head and let sit in a bowl for 1–2 hours until wilted, turning occasionally.

Rinse & prepare paste

Rinse salted cabbage thoroughly under cold water to remove excess salt and drain. Mix minced garlic, minced ginger, 2 tbs gochugaru, 1 tbs fish sauce, 1 tsp sugar and sliced green onions to form a paste.

Massage paste

Spread the paste between the cabbage leaves evenly. Let the assembled cabbage sit at room temperature for 2–6 hours to lightly ferment, then refrigerate. This quick bossam kimchi is best after several hours to a day.