Skip to content

Meat, East Asian

Bossam with kimchi and rice

Bossam is a Korean dish of pork belly boiled with aromatics, sliced thin and served with cabbage leaves, kimchi and rice. It feeds 4 people, takes 1 hour 40 minutes, is an easy recipe, and costs about €3.50 per person. The key to success is a gentle simmer and letting the meat rest before slicing.

Tonight we're making bossam, pork belly boiled with aromatics, sliced and wrapped in cabbage leaves with kimchi, like a little Korean feast.

Bossam with kimchi and rice
Total time
1 h 40
Difficulty
Easy
Cost per person
€3.50
Calories per person
530 kcalcalculated by Kiloach, your weight coach
Season
Winter, Fall
The kids
They generally like it

Bossam is pork belly simmered slowly in a broth flavored with garlic, ginger and fermented soybean paste, until it turns fork tender. You slice it thin and wrap it in a warm cabbage leaf with a bit of kimchi, so every bite mixes the rich melting pork, the crunch of cabbage and the tangy heat of kimchi.

It's a dish meant for sharing, where everyone builds their own wrap at the table, perfect for a relaxed Sunday or an evening when you want to linger together. Kids often enjoy rolling their own cabbage leaves, and you can adjust how much kimchi goes in depending on who likes spice and who doesn't.

The ingredients

4 people

Butcher

  • Pork belly 900 g

Fruits and vegetables

  • Green cabbage 1
  • Onion 1
  • Garlic 6 cloves
  • Fresh ginger 20 g

Pantry

  • Fermented soybean paste (doenjang) 2 tbsp
  • Soy sauceoften in the pantry 2 tbsp
  • Kimchi 250 g
  • Riceoften in the pantry 300 g
  • Saltoften in the pantry 1 tsp

Allergens Soy, Gluten, Fish

The step by step recipe

  1. Put the whole pork belly in a large pot with the onion, garlic, ginger, doenjang and soy sauce, and cover generously with water.

    If you don't have doenjang, a spoon of miso works very well instead.

  2. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and let it simmer gently. 1 h

    Keep it at a light simmer, a hard boil toughens the meat.

  3. Meanwhile, separate the cabbage leaves and dip them in boiling salted water for a few minutes, then drain. 5 min

    Cut out the thick center rib with a small knife so the leaves roll up easily.

  4. Cook the rice in salted water, then drain it. 11 min

    Slightly sticky rice is perfect here, it holds together in the wrap.

  5. Take out the meat, let it cool a little, then slice it thin and serve with the cabbage leaves, kimchi and rice.

    Slice against the grain, every bite melts in your mouth.

Our tips to get it right

  • Pick a pork belly with a good layer of fat, it stays moist through the long simmer and slices cleanly.
  • Save some of the cooking broth on the side, it's great spooned over rice or used to reheat leftover meat.
  • Prep the kimchi and rice while the pork simmers, so everything is ready at the same time without any last minute rush.

The variations

  • Swap the pork belly for pork shoulder, slightly leaner but just as tender after an hour of simmering.
  • For a vegetarian version, replace the meat with pan seared firm tofu and keep the cabbage, kimchi and rice as they are.
  • For kids who don't like spice, serve the kimchi on the side in a small bowl instead of wrapping it into the leaf.

What to serve it with

  • A bowl of the warm cooking broth
  • Extra crunchy raw vegetables
  • Green tea or lemon water

Storage

The cooked meat keeps 2 to 3 days in the refrigerator in a sealed container, ideally sitting in a little of its broth. It freezes well once sliced, just thaw it in the fridge and reheat gently in a pan or steamer.

Questions about this dish

Can you make bossam ahead of time?

Yes, you can boil the pork belly a day ahead and keep it in its broth in the fridge. Reheat the meat gently in the broth before slicing so it stays juicy.

What can replace doenjang?

A tablespoon of miso works very well instead of doenjang, giving a similar fermented flavor. Without either, the recipe still works fine with just the soy sauce.

Does bossam freeze well?

Yes, the sliced meat freezes well in an airtight container. Thaw it in the fridge and reheat it gently so it doesn't dry out.

What kind of kimchi works best here?

A classic cabbage kimchi, not too fermented, works perfectly and lets the pork stay the star of the dish. The younger it is, the crunchier and milder it tastes.

How long does it take to make a bossam with kimchi and rice?

Count 1 h 40 in total, prep and cooking included. The recipe is rated “easy”.

How many calories are in a bossam with kimchi and rice?

About 530 kcal per serving, for a recipe meant for 4 people. Calories are calculated by Kiloach, your weight coach, the app that partners with Mon Chou.

How much does a bossam with kimchi and rice cost?

About €3.50 per serving, or €14.00 for 4 people, based on average supermarket prices.

What allergens does this recipe contain?

This recipe contains soy, gluten, fish. Always check the labels of the products you buy.

East Asian cuisines

See all

Recipes with raw garlic

See all