Classic Korean Bossam – with an Instant Pot makeover! Everyone seems to be cooking Bossam these days. David Chang has modernized it. Martha Stewart is serving it. The New York Times is writing about it. But nothing beats the classic recipe, made easier with the Instant Pot. A holiday-worthy meal that stars jiggly, luscious, tender Korean boiled pork belly and Oyster Radish Kimchi.
When I lived in NYC, my first apartment was a 5-story walk-up on the Upper West Side. My roommates were Korean Americans—just like me.
One day, we cooked a Korean meal together. I made Bossam. I wasn’t much of a cook back then. But I’d seen my Korean grandmother (Halmoni) make Bossam a thousand times. It seemed like a no-brainer.
My new roommates were amazed. Until that moment, they never knew that Bossam was simply boiled pork.
Since then, I’ve made this dish countless times. And each time, people have been impressed. With boiled pork! Now you can do the same.
What is Korean Bossam?
Bossam is a classic Korean dish that’s best described as boiled pork. Pork Belly or well-marbled Pork Butt is boiled until tender, jiggly, fatty, and luscious. Cut into thin slices, Bossam is eaten with oyster radish kimchi and wrapped into cured Napa cabbage leaves. The flavor combo is unbelievably delicious!
Bossam is typically eaten on kimchi-making days. When kimchi is packed into jars, there are always leftovers. The amount of spicy radish kimchi paste and salted napa cabbage leaves don’t always match. What’s a Korean to do with the leftover odds and ends? Make Bossam!
Nowadays, people eat Bossam even when it’s not a kimchi-making day. For my version, I’ve made it weeknight-friendly by replacing the cured napa leaves with lettuce. Now Korean Boiled Pork Belly can be an easy, no-fuss dinner!
Ingredients:
For the Korean Pork Belly:
- Pork Belly. Thick, long strips with an equal ratio of meat to fat are ideal. Look for meaty, thick strips.
- Onion, Garlic, Ginger, Green Onion. The aromatics provide so much flavor.
- Instant Coffee. Removes that greasy, porky smell while imparting a beautiful brown color to the meat. If you don’t have instant coffee, you can substitute 1 cup regular coffee.
- Peppercorns. Gives a subtle depth of flavor.
- Doenjang. Korean fermented soybean paste. If you don’t have it, sub with miso paste.
- Salt + Sugar. The perfect balance of salty-sweet seasoning.
For the Oyster Radish Kimchi:
- Raw Oysters. Don’t buy the fancy kind that requires shucking! Frozen raw oysters are much easier and the taste difference is minimal. Find them in the frozen seafood section at your local Korean grocery store.
- Korean radish (mu). Look for heavy, plump radish with no cracks that are faintly green.
- Salt. To cure the radish, salt is essential! A lot of liquid will release.
- Gochukaru, Fish Sauce, Sugar, Green Onion, Garlic. The flavorful seasoning paste!
Instructions:
- Add pork belly, doenjang, onion, ginger, green onion, garlic, instant coffee, sugar, salt, and peppercorns into Instant Pot. Lock lid into place and cook for 14-18 minutes depending on size.
- Remove pot from the heat source and cool to room temperature, keeping pork belly submerged in liquid.
- Make Oyster Radish Kimchi.
- Peel + cut radish into matchsticks.
- Salt then drain well, squeezing out excess liquid.
- Add seasoning and mix well. Add defrosted oysters.
- Right before serving, slice thinly the pork belly and serve with Radish Oyster Kimchi.
Watch How to Make it:
PRO Tips:
- Manually release steam IMMEDIATELY. Prevents overcooking. Once the timer beeps, uncover and remove the pot from the heat source ASAP!
- Keep pork belly submerged in liquid until ready to serve. Makes for moist, juicy Bossam. Ideally, let the pork belly + liquid come to room temperature before serving.
- Use a SHARP knife. Makes slicing easier. The braised pork can easily splinter and shred if the knife isn’t sharp.
- Defrost frozen oysters in cold water. The easiest way to defrost frozen seafood. Like shrimp, oysters defrost quickly this way.
- Snip oysters in half (with scissors). If the oysters are very large, feel feel to cut them into smaller pieces for easier eating and even distribution. Everyone will get a piece this way!
- Drain salted radish well To ensure the kimchi is not too wet, squeeze out as much liquid as possible from the salted radish. Squeeze with your hands, pressing against the colander with a wooden spoon. Or use a Korean trick: place radish in a thin dishcloth and wring out the liquid.
Instant Pot Bossam: Getting the Texture Just Right
Honestly, Korean Bossam is a recipe best made on the stovetop so you can easily check the texture.
The perfect Bossam texture: jiggly and soft enough so every bite feels decadently luscious. And yet firm enough to hold together and have some chew, but not too much.
But nothing beats the ease and convenience of the Instant Pot! Simply throw everything into the pot and walk away. The only risk: since the Instant Pot stays sealed until finished, you can’t check during the cooking process.
To ensure the right texture, adjust cooking time according to the size of pork belly strips. Pork belly can be thin or thick, super long or short and squat, very meaty or substantially fatty. I’ve included my time recommendations (which range from 14-18 minutes) in the recipe card below.
Serve with:
Serve with rice, lettuce wraps, and perilla leaves. Easy weeknight dinner!
Add Korean side dishes for a larger party: Spicy Cucumber Salad, Korean Potato Salad, and a bubbling hot bowl of Soybean Paste Stew (Doenjang Jjigae).
FAQ:
Can I make this in advance?
Yes, the recipe for Korean Bossam is the perfect make-ahead meal. I actually prefer to make in advance.
Make sure to store the unsliced pork belly in the braising liquid until ready to serve. Also, the Oyster Radish Kimchi is technically not fermented. Keep in the fridge and over time, it will ferment and develop a stronger, more fermented flavor.
Why Instant Coffee?
Koreans do not like gamey, strong-smelling meat. Instant Coffee neutralizes that greasy, fatty smell from meat. BBQ rubs made with coffee grounds work in a similar way to remove that porky smell while adding flavor and color.
My grandfather taught me this trick when I was learning to cook. He put a spoonful of instant coffee in his Bossam recipe and told me that’s his secret ingredient. Then I started reading about other Korean cooks doing the same thing!
Can I use frozen pork belly?
Yes, frozen pork belly cooks beautifully in the instant pot! Make sure that the pork belly strips are separated from each other (not in one big clump) and add 1 additional minute to the cook time.
What should I do with the leftover braising liquid?
People frequently ask what they can do with the leftover liquid. Flavorful and rich, it seems like such a waste to throw it out!
My solution: pour the liquid through a sieve to remove debris. Cover liquid and refrigerate overnight. The next day, remove most of the hardened fat sitting on the surface. Reheat and add noodles, greens of choice (like bok choy or spinach), shredded rotisserie chicken or pre-made duck from a Chinese restaurant, and a soft boiled egg. An easy 2nd-day meal that takes full advantage of the braising liquid.
More Pork Belly Inspiration:
More Instant Pot Inspiration:
Instant Pot Bossam (Korean Boiled Pork Belly) with Oyster Radish Kimchi
Equipment
- Instant Pot or large stock pot
Ingredients
Bossam:
- 3 lb Pork Belly (long strips)
- 1/4 cup Doenjang (Korean fermented soy bean paste) or miso paste
- 1 onion (peeled and halved)
- 2 green onions (trimmed and halved)
- 10-12 garlic cloves (1 entire head, halved)
- 3 inch ginger (sliced thinly)
- 1 Tbsp instant coffee or 1 cup regular coffee
- 1 tsp peppercorns
- 2 tsp salt
- 1 Tbsp sugar
- 6 cups water
Oyster Radish Kimchi:
- 1 lb Korean radish or daikon (chinese white radish also works) peeled and trimmed
- 2 tsp salt
- 1 8 oz bag frozen (raw) oysters (find in the freezer section)
- 2 Tbsp Gochukaru (Korean chili flakes)
- 2 Tbsp fish sauce
- 1 Tbsp sugar
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 2 green onions chopped
Instructions
Instant Pot Bossam:
- Place all ingredients in the Instant Pot: pork belly, doenjang, instant coffee, ginger, garlic, onion, salt, sugar, peppercorns. Add the water last. It’s ok if the Doen Jang is in a big clump. Turn off KEEP WARM function. Lock the lid and set for manual mode.
- Add cooking time according to thickness of pork belly:14 minutes: for skinny, short pork belly that's 1-2 inches thick16 minutes: for medium sized, meaty pork belly that's 2-3 inches thick18 minutes: for extra thick + meaty pork belly that's 3-4 inches thick
- When the timer beeps, manually release the steam. When all the steam has released, open the lid. Remove the Instant Pot container from the machine. Set aside. This prevents the pork belly from overcooking. Keep the pork belly submerged in the liquid until ready to serve. Ideally, the pork belly and liquid should cool to room temperature before serving.
Stovetop Instructions:
- Place all Bossam ingredients in a large stock pot. It's ok if the Doen Jang is in a big clump. Bring to a boil and simmer on medium low heat until pork belly is soft and tender but not falling apart, about 1-1.5 hours. The cook time depends on the thickness of the pork belly and also the ratio of fat to meat. Start checking after 45 minutes of cooking time by poking the pork belly with your index finger or tongs. If the pork belly is still firm and overly "bouncy," it needs more boiling. Keep cooking and check in 15 minute intervals until the meat is tender and not so "bouncy" when you poke it.
- Remove the pot from heat source. Keep the pork belly submerged in the liquid until ready to serve. Ideally, the pork belly and liquid should cool to room temperature before serving.
Radish Kimchi with Oysters:
- Defrost oysters by placing in cold water. Drain well and set aside.
- Chop the Korean radish or daikon into matchsticks. Place in large bowl and sprinkle with salt. Mix thoroughly with hands. This begins the pickling process. Set aside for 10 minutes.
- Transfer radish into a clean bowl. There should be a lot of liquid left in the bottom of the old bowl. Do not use this liquid; dump it out. Squeeze out as much liquid as possible. Press against a colander with a wooden spoon. Or, do it the Korean way: place in a thin dish cloth and wring out as much liquid as possible. This will ensure the kimchi is not too wet.
- In the new bowl, add the salted, drained radish. It will look wilted. Add fish sauce, garlic, green onions, gochukaru, and sugar. Mix thoroughly until well coated.
- Add defrosted oysters. Be gentle as you mix in the oysters. If they are very large, snip oysters in half with scissors. Cover and store in the fridge until ready to serve.
To serve:
- Remove pork belly from liquid and slice into thin strips. Arrange on a platter. Serve alongside Radish Kimchi with Oysters, lettuce leaves and/or perilla leaves, and rice.
Hi there! Would it taste okay if I substituted small mussels or clams in the kimchi? I do like oysters but love mussels and clams more. 😀
Hi! I’ve never tried it with mussels or clams, so I’m not sure if it would work. Theoretically, it should work the same 🙂
I made this frozen cut-up pork belly and did 15 minutes. Turned out soft and supple. The broth was delicious. It wasn’t quite the bossam flavor I’m used to, but it was so easy and delicious. Will make it again. Plan to toast the leftovers in the airfryer tomorrow.
This was a great recipe!! I think I like the simplicity of this bo ssam more than the David Chang version! Do you ever do anything with the liquid after braising?
Yes, I use it as the soup base for noodle soup the next day! Place in the fridge overnight. The next day, the fat will harden and be easier to remove. Strain the other items in the stock then reheat. I add thick noodles called Kalguksu or Jjajangmyeon noodles from the Asian market. Also, some wilted greens. If you want some protein, I like soft boiled eggs, shredded leftover chicken, or store-bought roast duck from the Asian market. Enjoy!!
So glad I found your recipe! This was easy, simple, fast and delicious. Never making Bossam any other way.
This was EXCELLENT and so easy to make. A new family favorite for sure!
I love your bossam recipe! It’s my go to every time I want to make an extra special dinner for family ❤️ Thank you!!!
Would you still do 18 minutes in instant pot if I use more than 3 lbs of pork belly?
Mmm it really depends on the thickness of your pork belly. Sorry it’s not more concise but it’s so hard to tell! If not, you can always cook it on the stove and start checking at 45 minutes for jiggliness
Can’t wait to try this in my IP! One question though: You don’t need to squeeze the excess water out of the radish with a tea towel?
If that’s what you usually do, yes, feel free to squeeze out the water with a towel! That’s what my Halmoni does, too. My version will be more watery but still delicious.