March 2, 2025

Simple & Flavorful Bossam (보쌈) – Korean Boiled Pork Wraps

Bossam is a simple yet delicious Korean dish where pork is gently boiled with aromatic ingredients to remove any unwanted smell while keeping the meat tender and juicy. It’s traditionally served with fermented shrimp sauce (saeu-jeot, 새우젓) and ssamjang (seasoned soybean paste, 쌈장), along with fresh vegetables for wrapping. The essence of cooking Bossam is getting rid of the smell from the pork. In this recipe, it can be done with doenjang and instant coffee.

Equipment

Pot
Bowl (Glass or Stainless)
Chopping board
Cooking knife

Ingredients

Main ingredients
- Pork shoulder (or pork belly)
- Cooking wine
- Water (if you have beer, you can use beer instead of cooking wine and water)
- Ginger
- Doenjang (Korean soybean paste)
- Instant coffee (helps remove the pork smell)
- Black pepper
Serving Ingredients
- Saeu-jeot (fermented small shrimp) for dipping
- Ssamjang (seasoned soybean paste) for dipping
- Fresh lettuce or perilla leaves for wrapping

Instructions

To remove excess blood and reduce any gamey odor, soak the pork in warm water for 10 minutes. Drain and pat dry with paper towels.
Peel off and chop up ginger into chunks in 3-4cm.
In a large pot, add 1 liter of water and cooking wine, then mix in: doenjang, instant coffee, chopped ginger, and black pepper. Bring the water to a boil over high heat. Add the pork and let it simmer for 45 minutes on medium-low heat.
Remove the pork from the broth and let it rest for a few minutes. Slice it into thin bite-sized pieces.
Serve the sliced pork with saeu-jeot or ssamjang for dipping. Wrap the pork in lettuce or perilla leaves, adding ssamjang or kimchi for extra flavor. If you are looking for pairing food, consider dubu-kimchi (tofu-kimchi), one of the best pairing dishes with Bossam!

Tips

Choosing the Right Cut: Pork belly is rich and tender, while pork shoulder is leaner but still flavorful.
Why Use Instant Coffee? It neutralizes pork’s strong smell, similar to how Koreans use soju or rice wine in cooking.
Storage: Leftover bossam can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat gently by steaming or microwaving with a damp paper towel to keep it moist.

Bossam

Print Recipe

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 45

Total Time 1

Servings 4 people

Calories 715 kcal

Ingredients

500 g Pork shoulder or pork belly
3 tbsp Cooking wine
1 L water if you have beer, you can use beer instead of cooking wine and water
30 g Ginger
1 tbsp Doenjang Korean soybean paste
1 tsp Black pepper
1 tbsp Instant coffee
1 tbsp Saeu-jeot fermented small shrimp
1 tbsp Ssamjang seasoned soybean paste
Lettuce or perilla leaves for wrapping

Instructions

To remove excess blood and reduce any gamey odor, soak the pork in warm water for 10 minutes. Drain and pat dry with paper towels.
Peel off and chop up ginger into chunks in 3-4cm.
In a large pot, add 1 liter of water and cooking wine, then mix in: doenjang, instant coffee, chopped ginger, and black pepper. Bring the water to a boil over high heat. Add the pork and let it simmer for 45 minutes on medium-low heat.
Remove the pork from the broth and let it rest for a few minutes. Slice it into thin bite-sized pieces.
Serve the sliced pork with saeu-jeot or ssamjang for dipping. Wrap the pork in lettuce or perilla leaves, adding ssamjang or kimchi for extra flavor.