Bo-ssam (Pork Wraps)

Hello all! I hope you are having a wonderful week. I know my week has been pretty good. My new roommate has arrived from South Korea. I'm looking forward to getting to know her and to have someone new to taste my cooking. As you know I recently made kimchi. Well, what goes better with kimchi than bo-ssam! Bo-ssam is such an amazing dish. I remember the first time I tried it, I was amazed. It was so full of flavor and just melted in my mouth. So good! The flavorful pork belly combined with the slight spice of the sauce and tangy flavor of the cabbage leaves is the perfect combination. It easily become one of my new favorite dishes and now I can make it myself.
This recipe came from maangchi. I love all of her recipes and videos. She makes cooking fun. I love how much she enjoys making this recipes and sharing them with others. Cooking is such a wonderful activity and I would love to make delicious food all the time. Beyond making the food, sharing it with friends and family and having them enjoy the food that I've prepared is always a joy. I think food is something that can bring people together and I think that is why I enjoy it so much.
You can find the recipe that I used here.

Ingredients:
For cabbage
- 1 pound napa cabbage leaves, washed and drained
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1/4 cup white vinegar
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 3/4 cup water

For pork
-3 pounds pork belly rinsed and drained
- 1 large onion, cut into quarters or sliced
- 2 tablespoons ginger, sliced thinly
- 12 garlic cloves
- 2 tablespoons Korean Fermented soybean paste (doenjang)
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon instant hazelnut-flavored coffee
- 10 cups of water


For oyster radish salad
- 1 pound Korean radish, peeled and washed
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 2 tablespoons fish sauce
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 green onion, chopped
- 8 ounces frozen shucked oysters, thawed out in the fridge for an hour
- 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons hot pepper flakes
- 1 tablespoon sesame seeds

For shrimp sauce
- 1 tablespoon saeujeot (fermented salted shrimp)
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon hot pepper flakes
- 1 green onion, chopped
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 2 tablespoon water
- a pinch of sesame seeds

For Cabbage
Step 1.
Combine sugar, vinegar, salt and water in a large bowl. Mix well until it turns into a clear pickle brine.

Step 2.
Add the cabbage and mix well by hand.

Step 3.
Let it sit for 15 minutes, then mix well and turn it over so the leaves pickle evenly. Repeat this every 10 to 15 minutes for 1-2 hours, until the cabbage leaves get soft and withered.

Step 4.
Squeeze out the excess water and refrigerate until ready to serve.

For Pork
Step 1.
Add the pork, onion, garlic, soy bean paste, brown sugar, hazelnut coffee powder, and the water to a large pot. Cover and cook for 1 hour over medium high heat.

Step 2.
When it boils vigorously, turn the pork over with a wooden spoon or tongs.

Step 3.
After 1 hour of boiling, turn down the heat to low and cook for another 15 minutes.

Step 4.
Take out he cooked pork and let it cool down until ready to serve.

For spicy oyster radish salad
Step 1.
Cut the radish into matchsticks and put them in a bowl. Mix with the salt and let it sit for 10 minutes.

Step 2.
Squeeze out the excess water and put it back into a bowl.

Step 3.
Take the the oysters out of the fridge and wash and drain.

Step 4.
Create a seasoning mixture by combing hot pepper flakes, fish sauce, sugar, garlic and green onion in a bow. Mix well with a wooden spoon.

Step 5.
Add the seasoning mixture to the radish and mix well by hand. Add the oyster and mix it in gently. Add the sesame seeds.

For shrimp sauce
Step 1.
Combine the fermented salted shrimp, sugar, hot pepper flakes, green onion, garlic and water in a small bowl. Mix it well with a spoon. Sprinkle with sesame seeds.

To serve,
Step 1.
Slice the pork into 1/8 inch thick pieces. Put them on a large platter.

Step 2.
Add the cabbage, spicy oyster radish salad, and shrimp sauce side by side nicely. Sprint with sesame seeds and serve.

*Korean people often serve with Korean booze: soju, makgeolli or even beer.

How to eat
-Take a pickled cabbage leaf, add a piece of pork on top of it, add some of the oyster radish salad and some of the shrimp sauce. Make sure it is small enough to fit in your mouth all at once. Wrap the leaf into a small pouch and eat it whole.

Well there you have it, bo-ssam! It does take a few hours to make but it is so delicious. This is a great meal to enjoy with friends. I hope you enjoyed this recipe. I'll see you soon for my next dish.

XOXO,
Rachel