Bossam with radish salad

Method

1. 01

   Salt the napa leaves

   Sprinkle 30 g coarse salt between the napa leaves, concentrating on thick white stems. Rest in a basin for 90 minutes, turning the stack every 30 minutes.

   

2. 02

   Rinse and drain the wraps

   Rinse the salted leaves in three changes of cold water, then drain cut-side down for at least 30 minutes. The stems should bend without snapping and taste lightly salted, not briny.

   

3. 03

   Draw water from the radish

   Toss radish matchsticks with the remaining 10 g coarse salt and 5 g sugar. Rest 20 minutes, then squeeze gently and discard the released liquid.

   

4. 04

   Season the spicy radish salad

   Mix drained radish with gochugaru first until evenly red, then add fish sauce, rice vinegar, and remaining 10 g sugar. Refrigerate covered while cooking the pork.

   

5. 05

   Shape and rinse the pork

   Trim only loose skin or fat so the block remains even, then rinse briefly under cold water and pat dry. Tie at 5 cm intervals if the belly is uneven so slices stay neat.

   

6. 06

   Build the doenjang poaching liquid

   Whisk doenjang into 2.5 L water in a pot wide enough to submerge the pork. Add onion, scallions, crushed garlic, ginger, and peppercorns and bring to a full boil.

   

7. 07

   Set the pork in boiling liquid

   Lower pork into the boiling liquid skin-side up. Return to a boil for 5 minutes, skimming grey foam, then lower to the gentlest simmer that still moves the surface.

   

8. 08

   Simmer to tenderness and 71°C

   Cover slightly ajar and simmer 50–60 minutes, turning once halfway. A skewer should enter the centre with light resistance and the thickest part must reach at least 71°C.

   

9. 09

   Rest without drying

   Transfer pork to a clean board, tent loosely with foil, and rest 15 minutes. Do not wrap tightly, which steams the skin, or leave uncovered, which dries the cut surface.

   

10. 10

    Prepare clean serving leaves

    Pat napa and perilla leaves dry and arrange on a clean platter kept away from the pork-cooking area. Add sliced garlic in a separate small pile.

    

11. 11

    Slice across the block

    Remove any string and slice pork across the block into even 6 mm pieces with a long sharp knife. Keep the skin and fat attached to each slice; discard any unexpectedly raw-looking centre.

    

12. 12

    Finish the radish and pine nuts

    Taste the chilled radish salad and drain only excess liquid, keeping it glossy. Place it beside the leaves and scatter pine nuts over the radish, not the pork.

    

13. 13

    Arrange and build one-bite wraps

    Fan warm pork slices beside the red radish salad and leaves. For each bite, place one pork slice, a little radish, and optional garlic on napa or perilla and fold once; serve within 2 hours.