Today, let’s make make Garlic Bossam with a sweet garlic sauce. This is a flavor that only Koreans know, but you must try it too! The sweet and slightly spicy sauce goes perfectly with the tender pork.
Table of Contents
What is Bossam? 보쌈
Bossam is a traditional Korean dish in which pork (usually belly or neck) is boiled and cut into bite-sized pieces, then wrapped in napa cabbage or lettuce leaves. It is usually eaten with fermented shrimp (saeujeot), sometimes with ssamjang (a thick, spicy paste), and often accompanied by bossam kimchi and radish kimchi.
What is Garlic Bossam?
Garlic bossam may be unfamiliar to foreigners, but it’s a common menu item in Korean bossam restaurants. It features tender, boiled pork topped with a sweet and slightly spicy garlic sauce. The garlic sauce balances the richness of the pork, creating a perfect harmony of flavors. Today, I’m going to reveal the secret recipe for this delicious garlic sauce!
Suyuk vs Bossam
Actually, this dish is more accurately described as suyuk, which simply means boiled pork. Bossam is a type of suyuk where the pork is typically wrapped in kimchi or napa cabbage leaves. While bossam is often eaten with wraps, suyuk can also be eaten with kimchi, served as a side dish, or enjoyed with drinks. It’s a popular dish during kimchi making season(kimjang season), when freshly made kimchi is paired with suyuk.
Bossam requires a lot of ingredients and spices to cook. These ingredients can be difficult to find outside of Korea. But don’t worry! With just a can of cola, you can make incredibly tender and delicious bossam. The Cola bossam recipe will give you a sweet and savory flavor that’s so rich and tender, it tastes just like the bossam you’d get in a restaurant.
How to Avoid Failing to Make Bossam
Although bossam may seem simple, it depends on controlling the heat and the cut of meat. When cooking, you need to cook the pork over a low heat and then let it rest. If the meat is lean with no fat, there’s a good chance you’ll end up with dry, tough bossam. Below I’ll explain in detail how to make a delicious, fail-safe bossam.
Bossam Secrets Koreans Only Knows
Secret 1: Dry-Heat Steamed Pork (무수분 수육)
Bossam and suyuk are usually boiled in water. However, if the heat is not controlled properly, the fat melts away and the meat becomes tough and dry. Even for Koreans, heat control can be difficult. Dry steaming is much easier because you cook the pork over low heat from the start, and because it’s steamed, the fat stays in the meat, making it much more tender and juicy.
Secret 2: Resting
Bossam must be rested after cooking, much like a steak is rested after grilling. This allows the juices to seep back into the meat, making it more tender and juicy. When the meat is fully cooked, turn off the heat, cover the pot, and let the meat rest for about 10 minutes. This step will enhance the flavor and texture of the meat.
Secret 3: Using Doenjang Marinade
Doenjang (soybean paste) is a famous ingredient in Korean cuisine. Koreans use it not only in soups and stews, but also to remove fishy or off-odors from meat and fish. Adding just a spoonful of doenjang to your meat seasoning will help eliminate any unwanted odors while enhancing the savory umami flavor of pork.
What Cut of Meat is Bossam?
The cut of meat most preferred by Koreans for bossam is pork belly. The more fat it has, the more tender and flavorful the meat will be. If you use belly pork without much fat, your bossam might turn out dry and chewy, so it’s important to choose the right cut. If you don’t like too much fat, the next best options are pork neck or front shoulder. Pork neck has a moderate amount of fat, while front shoulder has more lean meat with a chewy texture.
- Recommended Bossam Meat Order: When ordering, ask for 5cm-thick, fatty whole pork belly
Garlic Sauce: Koreans’ Love for Garlic
Garlic is the undisputed number one essential ingredient in Korean cuisine. From kimchi to bulgogi, doenjang jjigae to bean sprout dishes, garlic is present in almost every Korean dish. Koreans often enjoy Korean BBQ by eating raw garlic with their grilled meat, either as a side dish or wrapped in lettuce. They may also grill the garlic with the meat, allowing it to develop a rich, savory flavor that complements the juicy, tender meat. The combination of flavorful meat and aromatic garlic enhances the overall flavor and is a popular part of the Korean BBQ experience.
For this garlic bossam, I used two whole heads of garlic! Garlic bossam is one of the most popular dishes in Korean bossam restaurants. The sauce is cooked over a low heat so that the pungent heat of the garlic fades, leaving behind a sweet yet pungent flavor that perfectly complements the fatty pork belly. This garlic sauce is still relatively unknown to many foreigners, so I wanted to share it with you. It is super easy to make and only takes about 5 minutes!
Health Benefits of Garlic
- Immune System Boost & Antioxidant, Anti-inflammatory: Garlic contains allicin, a compound known for its powerful antimicrobial, antiviral, and anti-inflammatory properties. It helps boost the immune system and reduce inflammation. In addition, garlic acts as an antioxidant, scavenging free radicals and preventing cellular aging.
- Cancer Prevention: Garlic has been shown to inhibit the growth of cancer cells and may help prevent cancer. Its compounds may reduce the risk of certain types of cancer by promoting overall health and cellular function.
What Alcohol Pairs Well with Bossam?
When enjoying bossam, Koreans typically pair it with soju or makgeolli. Soju, with its strong and clean flavor, complements the richness of the fatty pork and cuts through the oiliness. On the other hand, makgeolli, a traditional Korean rice wine with a light carbonation, helps balance the fat and adds a refreshing touch. These two drinks are popular choices among Koreans when enjoying bossam.
Recommended Ingredients
- Ssamjang (Dipping Sauce)
- Rice
- https://amzn.to/4bdcfCH (US), https://amzn.to/41xxThP (NL), https://amzn.to/4kgVgmQ (DE)
- Mulyeot (corn syrup)
- https://amzn.to/414jWYx (US), https://amzn.to/3X3nxnh (DE)
- Matsul (Korean cooking wine, substitution for soju)
Korean Garlic Bossam with Sweet Garlic Sauce
Equipment
- 1 chopper (For mincing the garlic)
- 1 Knife and cutting board
- 1 Frying pan
- 1 Pot & Lid
- 1 Spoon
- 1 Tongs
- 1 Bowl
Ingredients
- 2 garlic heads (to season meat and also for garlic sauce)
- 500 g thick pork belly (more fat much softer)
Seasoning for the meat
- 2 pinches salt
- 7 turns black pepper
- 1 tbsp soybean paste
- 1.5 tbsp minced garlic
Ingredients to boil together
- 2 onions
- 1 stalk spring onions
- 3 tbsp soju
- 3 tbsp water
- 7 turns black pepper
Garlic sauce
- 2 tbsp cooking oil
- 4 tbsp minced garlic
- 1.5 tbsp corn syrup (can be substituted with honey, but since corn syrup is twice as sweet, adjust sweetness accordingly)
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 1 tbsp Korean vinegar (can be substituted with apple cider vinegar; since apple cider vinegar is less sour than Korean vinegar, 1.5 tbsp is recommended)
Side dishes
- 100 g lettuce (optional)
- 50 g kimchi (optional)
- 1 tbsp ssamjang
Garnish
- 2 pinches sesame seeds (optional)
Instructions
- Peel the skin off 2 whole garlic cloves, cut off the ends, and grind them all up. This minced garlic will be used for the meat seasoning and garlic sauce.
- Prepare fatty pork belly, season with salt and pepper, then spread 1 tablespoon of soybean paste and 1.5 tablespoons of minced garlic on it. Let it marinate for about 15 minutes.
- Cut 2 onions in half, and chop the spring onions into large pieces (about 3-5 cm).
- In a pot, add the onions, spring onions, and meat, then grind 7 turns of black pepper over it. Add 3 tbsp of soju and 3 tbsp of water.
- Cover the pot and simmer on medium-low heat for 50 minutes. Since this is a dry cooking method, be sure to maintain medium-low heat to avoid burning, and do not open the lid as the steam will cook the meat.
- After 50 minutes, turn off the heat and let it rest with the lid on for 10 minutes. This helps the juices stay inside the meat, making it moist and tender.
- Slice the meat into 0.5 cm thick pieces.
Garlic Sauce
- Ingredients for garlic sauce: 2 tbsp vegetable oil, 4 tbsp minced garlic, 1.5 tbsp corn syrup, 1 tbsp sugar, 1 tbsp vinegar
- Put all the garlic sauce ingredients in a frying pan and simmer on low heat for about 3-5 minutes.
- Pour the garlic sauce over the meat and sprinkle with sesame seeds to finish.
Korean Garlic Bossam 마늘 보쌈
- Jal meokgetseumnida! 잘 먹겠습니다!
- Place the meat and garlic sauce generously on the lettuce, add ssamjang, and rice, then wrap it up and enjoy your delicious wrap!
Did you make this recipe?
Please let me know how it turned out for you! Leave a comment below and tag @blondekimchi_ on Instagram and hashtag it #blondekimchi.