Bossam: Korean Braised Pork

Bossam is a classic Korean dish of pork shoulder or belly simmered low and slow in an aromatic broth of soy sauce, garlic, ginger, doenjang and aromatics until silky-tender. It is traditionally served at the table with fresh napa cabbage or perilla leaves used as wraps, alongside kimchi, salted shrimp paste and raw garlic. The appeal of bossam lies in the contrast of the plain, deeply savoury pork against sharp, briny accompaniments. Sherry reinvented the format in this episode, pairing smoky whole-hog shoulder with an eastern Carolina vinegar dressing in place of the traditional soy broth, a chimichurri-dressed rice replacing the traditional white rice, and cabbage chow in place of the classic kimchi accompaniment.