Korean bossam (poached pork belly wrap)
- Preparation and cooking time
- Prep:
- Cook:
- plus resting
- Easy
- Serves 6
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp soft dark brown sugar
- 3 tbsp blackstrap molasses
- 3 tbsp sake
- 3 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp doenjang
- 1 tbsp whole black peppercorns
- ½ onion, skin left on
- ½ apple, cored with skin left on
- 100g leek, halved lengthways
- 40g garlic cloves, lightly crushed
- 15g ginger, roughly sliced
- 2 bay leaves
- 1kg pork belly, skin left on and cut into 5cm-wide strips
- 1 cinnamon stick
- blanched white cabbage or seasonal leaves, for wrapping
- ssamjang sauce and spicy radish salad, to serve
Method
- STEP 1
Whisk together the sugar, molasses, sake, soy, doenjang and 1 litre of water in a heavy-based pan or stockpot with a lid. Add all the remaining ingredients, except the pork and cinnamon. Bring to the boil, then simmer for 15 mins over a medium heat, partially covered with the lid.
- STEP 2
Carefully submerge the pork belly into the poaching liquid and add the cinnamon stick. Reduce the heat and simmer very gently for 1 hr 15 mins until the meat is cooked through but not completely falling apart. Turn off the heat and let the pork rest in the pan for 15 mins.
- STEP 3
Remove the pork from the pan and ensure the meat has cooled down enough to touch. Discard the poaching liquid. Cut the meat into 5mm slices then transfer to a large platter.
- STEP 4
If you are planning on serving later, cover the meat before slicing and refrigerate until needed. When ready to serve, slice as above, then steam for a few minutes to reheat.
- STEP 5
Serve the pork with seasonal leaves to wrap, ssamjang sauce on the side and spicy radish salad.
