Pork Wraps (Bo-ssam)

Bo-ssam, one of the most popular wraps, consists of braised pork topped with a bit of spicy oyster-radish salad and shrimp sauce and wrapped in a pickled cabbage leaf. My special ingredient may surprise you—hazelnutflavored instant coffee! I can’t take credit for this innovation: I learned it from an expat Korean woman I met at a Missouri potluck party. There was something irresistible about her bo-ssam that I couldn’t place, and I had to know what it was. It’s certainly not traditional, but it gives the pork a wonderful fragrance, color, and flavor.

Serves 8 to 10

INGREDIENTS:

FOR THE CABBAGE:

• ¼ cup sugar
• 1 tablespoon kosher salt
• ¼ cup distilled white vinegar
• ¾ cup water
• 1 pound Napa cabbage leaves, washed and drained

FOR THE PORK:

• 1 (3-pound) pork belly or 3 pounds boneless pork shoulder
• 10 cups water
• 1 large onion, cut into quarters
• 12 garlic cloves
• 2 tablespoons sliced peeled ginger
• 2 tablespoons fermented soybean paste (doenjang)
• 1 tablespoon light brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon hazelnut-flavored instant coffee powder for the oyster and radish salad
• 1 pound Korean radishes (mu) or daikon, peeled and cut into matchsticks
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 2 tablespoons fish sauce
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• ¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons Korean hot pepper flakes (gochu-garu)
• 8 ounces shucked fresh or frozen oysters, thawed in the refrigerator if frozen
• 1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds

FOR THE SHRIMP SAUCE:

• 1 tablespoon salted fermented shrimp (saeujeot)
• 1 scallion, chopped
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 teaspoon Korean hot pepper flakes (gochu-garu)
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 2 tablespoons water

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Make the cabbage: Combine the sugar, salt, vinegar, and water in a wide bowl and stir with a wooden spoon until the sugar and salt are dissolved. Add the cabbage leaves and mix well. Let sit, turning every 15 minutes, until wilted and soft, 1 to 2 hours.
2. Drain the cabbage leaves and squeeze out the excess water. Refrigerate until ready to use. (The leaves can be refrigerated for up to 2 days.)
3. Make the pork: Put the pork into a large pot, add the remaining ingredients, cover, and cook over medium-high heat for 1 hour. Turn the heat down to low and cook for another 15 minutes, or until the pork is tender and fully cooked. Remove the pork from the broth and let cool.
4. Meanwhile, make the oyster and radish salad: Mix the radishes and salt in a bowl. Let stand for 10 minutes, then drain and squeeze out the excess water.
5. Transfer the radishes to a medium bowl, add the fish sauce, sugar, garlic, and hot pepper flakes, and mix well. Add the oysters and mix again. Sprinkle with the sesame seeds.
6. Make the shrimp sauce: Combine the fermented shrimp, scallion, garlic, hot pepper flakes, and sugar in a small bowl. Mix well. Add the water and mix again.
7. To serve: Slice the pork ⅛ inch thick and arrange on one side of a large platter. Put the pickled cabbage and oyster-radish salad on the other side. Put the shrimp sauce in a small serving bowl on the side. Let your guests make their own wraps by placing a piece of pork on the center of a cabbage leaf, topping with some oyster-radish salad and shrimp sauce, and rolling up.