June 25, 2026

How to Make Korean Bossam (Boiled Pork Belly) 🥓 Easy Recipe

Easy Korean Bossam (Boiled Pork Belly) – Tender & Juicy Korean Pork

👨‍🍳 Tysoon's Korean Kitchen / Authentic Korean Recipes Made Easy

https://tysoonkorea.blogspot.com/2026/06/how-to-make-korean-bossam-boiled-pork.html

────────────────────

What Is Korean Bossam?

Bossam (보쌈) is a classic Korean pork dish made by gently cooking a large piece of pork belly until tender, then slicing it into bite-sized pieces for serving.

The pork is cooked with garlic, green onions, whole black peppercorns, salt, sugar, and cooking wine. These simple ingredients lightly season the pork while helping create a clean, savory aroma.

Bossam is traditionally eaten as a wrap. A slice of pork is placed inside lettuce or a perilla leaf and commonly served with ssamjang, salted shrimp, garlic, green chili, or kimchi.

Unlike strongly seasoned Korean pork dishes, bossam lets the natural flavor and texture of the pork

Recipe Steps

Why You'll Love This Recipe?

This bossam recipe uses simple ingredients but produces tender and juicy pork with a clean savory flavor.

The pork belly is cooked as a whole piece rather than sliced before cooking, helping it retain moisture.

After cooking, the pork rests in the covered pot for 10–20 minutes before slicing.

The combination of pork belly, fresh aromatics, whole peppercorns, and cooking wine creates a satisfying Korean dish without requiring a complicated marinade or sauce.

Bossam is also easy to customize at the table because each person can choose their own vegetables, kimchi, and dipping sauces.

Ingredients

Pork belly — 1 kg

Garlic — 20 cloves

Green onions — 200 g

Whole black peppercorns — 1 tsp

Sugar — 1 tsp

Salt — 1 tsp

Cooking wine — 5 tsp

Water — enough to completely cover the pork

How to Make Korean Bossam

Step 1. Prepare the Ingredients

Prepare:

1 kg pork belly

20 garlic cloves

200 g green onions

1 tsp whole black peppercorns

1 tsp sugar

1 tsp salt

5 tsp cooking wine

Keep the pork belly as a large piece for cooking.

Step 2. Prepare the Pot

Place the pork belly in a large pot.

Add the garlic, green onions, whole black peppercorns, sugar, salt, and cooking wine.

Pour in enough water to completely cover the pork.

Make sure the pot is large enough for the pork to remain covered with water during cooking.

Step 3. Boil the Pork

Bring the water to a boil.

Once it begins boiling, immediately lower the heat.

The original recipe recommends maintaining the cooking water at approximately 55–60°C.

Cook the pork gently rather than allowing the water to boil aggressively.

Step 4. Rest the Pork

Turn off the heat.

Keep the lid closed and allow the pork to rest for approximately 10–20 minutes.

Do not immediately remove and slice the pork.

The resting stage is part of the cooking method used in this recipe.

Step 5. Slice and Serve

Remove the pork from the pot.

Slice it against the grain into bite-sized pieces.

Arrange the sliced pork on a serving plate and serve while warm.

Why Is Bossam Cooked Gently?

Bossam is valued for its tender and juicy texture.

This recipe brings the cooking water to a boil first and then immediately lowers the heat instead of continuing with an aggressive boil.

Gentler cooking reduces unnecessary agitation and allows the large piece of pork belly to cook more gradually.

Because pork belly contains both lean meat and fat, controlling the cooking process is important for maintaining a pleasant texture.

Why Does the Pork Rest After Cooking?

After the heat is turned off, this recipe leaves the pork in the covered pot for 10–20 minutes.

The pork continues to sit in the hot cooking liquid during this period instead of being immediately removed and sliced.

Resting also makes it easier to handle the pork before slicing.

After resting, remove the pork and cut it against the grain for a more tender eating texture.

Why Slice Bossam Against the Grain?

Muscle fibers naturally run in a particular direction through the meat.

Cutting against the grain shortens those fibers.

This makes each piece easier to bite and gives the sliced pork a more tender texture when eaten.

Look carefully at the direction of the meat fibers before slicing and cut across them rather than in the same direction.

Ingredient Substitutions

Pork Belly

Pork belly is the traditional cut used in this recipe because its combination of meat and fat helps it remain tender and juicy.

If buying a whole slab is difficult, look for a skinless pork belly block suitable for boiling and slicing.

Garlic

Fresh whole garlic cloves are recommended.

They are cooked directly in the water with the pork and other aromatics.

Green Onions → Scallions

Korean green onions are ideal if available, but regular green onions or scallions can also be used.

Whole Black Peppercorns

Whole black peppercorns add aroma to the cooking liquid without dispersing ground pepper throughout the broth.

Whole peppercorns are preferred for this recipe.

Cooking Wine → Mirin, Sake, or Dry Sherry

If Korean cooking wine is unavailable, practical alternatives include mirin, sake, or dry sherry.

These substitutes have different flavors, so the finished taste may vary slightly.

Shopping Tips

Choosing Pork Belly

The pork is the most important ingredient in bossam.

Look for a thick pork belly slab with a good balance of lean meat and fat.

Avoid pieces that are almost entirely fat or extremely thin, because a substantial block is easier to cook and slice for bossam.

Buying Pork Belly in North America

Useful names to look for include:

Pork belly slab

Skinless pork belly

Pork belly for braising

Pork belly for roasting

Korean and Asian supermarkets often sell pork belly in larger pieces suitable for bossam.

A butcher shop can also cut a suitable piece for boiling.

Buying Pork Belly in South America

Look for pork belly at butcher shops, local meat markets, supermarkets with fresh pork counters, or Asian grocery stores.

If pre-cut pork belly blocks are unavailable, ask for a thick piece suitable for boiling and slicing.

Choosing Garlic and Green Onions

Choose firm garlic without soft or damaged cloves.

Green onions should have firm stalks and fresh green tops.

Fresh aromatics are especially useful in this recipe because they are cooked directly with the pork.

How to Serve Korean Bossam

Bossam is usually served as part of a Korean meal rather than eaten alone.

Place a lettuce or perilla leaf in your hand, add a slice of pork, then add your preferred condiment or side dish before wrapping everything together.

Common accompaniments include:

Lettuce

Perilla leaves

Ssamjang

Salted shrimp

Kimchi

Fresh garlic

Green chili

You do not need to use every accompaniment. Bossam can be served simply with pork, fresh vegetables, and one dipping sauce.

Bossam and Ssamjang

Ssamjang (쌈장) is a savory Korean dipping sauce commonly served with lettuce wraps and grilled or boiled meat.

A small amount can be placed on top of the pork before wrapping it in lettuce or a perilla leaf.

Because ssamjang is strongly seasoned, only a small amount is usually needed.

Serving bossam with ssamjang provides a stronger savory contrast to the relatively mild boiled pork.

Storage

Bossam is best served warm soon after cooking.

Leftover pork can be stored in a covered container in the refrigerator for approximately 2–3 days.

Keep the pork in larger pieces when possible and slice only what you need.

When reheating, warm it gently so the pork does not dry out.

Avoid repeatedly reheating the entire batch if you only need a small portion.

FAQ

Q1. What Is Bossam?

Bossam is a Korean boiled pork dish traditionally sliced and eaten in wraps with vegetables, sauces, and side dishes.

Q2. What Cut of Pork Is Best for Bossam?

This recipe uses pork belly, the classic choice because it contains enough fat to remain juicy and tender.

Q3. Why Are Garlic and Green Onions Added?

They add aroma to the cooking liquid while the pork cooks.

This recipe uses 20 garlic cloves and 200 g green onions.

Q4. Why Is Cooking Wine Added?

Cooking wine adds aroma to the cooking liquid and is traditionally used when preparing meat dishes such as this one.

This recipe uses 5 tsp cooking wine.

Q5. Why Should the Pork Rest After Cooking?

The original method leaves the pork in the covered pot for 10–20 minutes after the heat is turned off.

The pork remains in the hot cooking liquid during this resting stage before it is removed and sliced.

Q6. Why Should I Slice Bossam Against the Grain?

Cutting against the grain shortens the muscle fibers and makes the pork easier to bite.

Q7. What Do You Eat with Bossam?

Bossam is commonly served with lettuce, perilla leaves, ssamjang, salted shrimp, kimchi, garlic, and green chili.

Q8. Can I Make Bossam Ahead of Time?

Yes.

Cook the pork ahead of time and refrigerate it after cooling. For the best texture, keep it in a larger piece and slice it closer to serving time.

Q9. Can I Use Another Cut of Pork?

This particular recipe is written for pork belly.

Other cuts can be boiled, but the fat content and texture will differ from traditional pork belly bossam.

Q10. What Is the Difference Between Bossam and Grilled Pork Belly?

Bossam pork is gently cooked in water with aromatics and seasonings.

Grilled pork belly is cooked directly over or on a hot cooking surface, producing browning and a very different texture and flavor.

Bossam has a softer, cleaner flavor and is usually served sliced with wraps and condiments.

Cooking Tips

Use a thick piece of pork belly. A whole block is better suited to this cooking method than thin slices.

Use enough water to cover the pork completely. This helps the pork cook more evenly.

Lower the heat after the water boils. The original recipe calls for gentle cooking rather than continuous aggressive boiling.

Use whole peppercorns. They provide aroma without spreading ground pepper throughout the cooking liquid.

Keep the lid closed during the resting stage. Let the pork rest for the full 10–20 minutes.

Check the grain before slicing. Cut across the direction of the fibers for a more tender texture.

Slice shortly before serving. This helps keep the pork moist.

Serve with fresh vegetables. Lettuce or perilla leaves provide a fresh contrast to the rich pork belly.

🥬 Related Korean Recipes

1. How to Make Authentic Korean Ssamjang Sauce
2. Easy Korean Spicy Pork Stir-Fry Recipe (Jeyuk Bokkeum)
3. Easy Fresh Napa Cabbage Kimchi (Baechu Geotjeori)

Enjoy your Korean cooking! 👨‍🍳

Comments