Bossam (Boiled Pork Wraps)

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Heavy 5 to 6 quart pot with lid
• •Large colander
• •Sharp slicing knife
• •Warm serving platter

Instructions

1. 1

   Salt the cabbage

   Sprinkle the napa cabbage leaves with 2 tablespoons coarse sea salt, rubbing a little into the thick white stems. Let them sit 35 to 45 minutes, turning once, until the stems bend without snapping. Rinse well and drain. The cabbage should be pliant enough to wrap, still sweet enough to taste like cabbage.

2. 2

   Season the radish

   Toss the julienned radish with 1 1/2 teaspoons coarse sea salt and let it stand 15 minutes. Squeeze firmly, but do not crush it. Mix with gochugaru, fish sauce, minced saeujeot, garlic, ginger, sugar, vinegar, sesame seeds, and sliced scallions. Taste it after 10 minutes. It should be bright, lightly salty, and crisp, not sticky-sweet.

3. 3

   Build the pork pot

   Put the water, doenjang, onion, radish chunks, crushed garlic, sliced ginger, scallions, soju, coffee if using, and peppercorns into a heavy pot. Stir until the doenjang loosens into the water. The coffee is not for flavor first; it darkens the pork gently and helps tame the fatty smell. Leave it out if you dislike it.

4. 4

   Simmer the pork

   Lower the pork belly into the pot and bring it to a boil over medium-high heat. Skim the first foam, then reduce to a steady gentle simmer. Cover with the lid slightly ajar and cook 55 to 70 minutes, turning the pork once, until a skewer slides into the thickest part with little resistance. Do not boil it roughly. Hard boiling makes tight meat and cloudy broth.

5. 5

   Rest before slicing

   Lift the pork to a cutting board and rest it 10 to 15 minutes, loosely covered. This is not idleness. If you slice it straight from the pot, the juices run out and the slices fall apart. Rested pork cuts clean and stays tender.

6. 6

   Slice thick

   Slice the pork across the grain into pieces about 1/4 inch thick. Too thin and it goes cold before anyone wraps it; too thick and each bite becomes only pork. Arrange the slices slightly overlapping on a warm platter.

7. 7

   Serve the wraps

   Set out the salted cabbage, spicy radish, saeujeot, ssamjang, raw garlic, green chili, and any lettuce or perilla leaves. To eat, lay pork in a cabbage leaf, add a small pinch of radish and a few grains of saeujeot, then wrap it in one bite. Go lightly with the saeujeot first. It is powerful, and it should sharpen the pork, not bury it.

Chef Tips

• •Pork belly is the classic generous cut, with fat that softens into the lean. Pork shoulder is easier to slice and less rich. Both work, but do not use a very lean loin; bossam needs some fat or the wrap tastes dry.
• •If you are serving this for company, cook the pork just before people sit down. The radish and cabbage can wait, but sliced bossam should not sit long. A warm platter helps.
• •Fresh oysters are traditional with some bossam tables, especially in colder months. Use only very fresh oysters from a trusted source, keep them cold, and serve them separately so guests can choose.
• •Safe corners to cut: use store-bought ssamjang and good prepared kimchi if you need to. Do not cut the resting time or the gentle simmer. Those are the dish.

Advance Preparation

• •The spicy radish can be made up to 1 day ahead and refrigerated. It will soften slightly, but the seasoning settles well.
• •The cabbage can be salted, rinsed, drained, and chilled up to 6 hours ahead. Cover it so the edges do not dry.
• •The pork is best simmered the day it is served. If you must cook it ahead, keep the slab whole in a little strained cooking liquid, refrigerate, then warm gently before slicing.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 430g)