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Bo ssäm SERVES 6 // PREP TIME 30 MINS // COOK 1 HR 30 MINS (PLUS MARINATING, FERMENTING) The ssämjang and kimchi aren’t hard to make, but they’re also easy to buy from your favourite Asian grocer. Begin this recipe a day ahead to marinate the pork and prepare the kimchi.
Restaurant Shik, 30 Niagara Ln, Melbourne, Vic, (03) 9670 5195 Lettuce leaves and freshly shucked oysters, to serve Blanched soybean sprouts dressed with sesame oil, salt, garlic and spring onions, to serve
PEAR AND RADISH KIMCHI 200 gm daikon, cut into julienne 2 tbsp caster sugar 3 tsp rice wine vinegar 1 nashi pear, cut into julienne 1 tbsp fish sauce 2 tbsp gochugaru (see note) 5 garlic cloves, crushed 15 gm piece ginger, finely chopped 3 tsp roasted pine nuts, plus extra to serve
BRAISED PORK 120 gm doenjang (see note) 125 ml (1⁄2 cup) mirin 200 ml soju or sake (see note) 100 ml light soy sauce 1 tsp brown sugar 5 garlic cloves, bruised ½ onion
3 spring onions, white part only 3 star anise 2 fresh bay leaves 1 cinnamon quill 1 kg piece pork belly SSÄMJANG
120 gm doenjang (see note) 50 gm gochujang (see note) 25 gm brown sugar
½ small white onion, finely chopped 2 spring onions, finely chopped 4 garlic cloves, crushed 1 tbsp sesame oil 1 tsp roasted sesame seeds
1 For kimchi, combine daikon, sugar, vinegar and 1½ tsp salt in a bowl and stand, covered, at room temperature to ferment overnight. Drain, squeeze out liquid, then combine with remaining ingredients. 2 For braised pork, place ingredients, except pork, in a large plastic container with 1 litre water and season with salt. Submerge pork and refrigerate, covered, to marinate overnight. Transfer pork and liquid to a large saucepan and cover with water. Bring to the boil, reduce heat to low and simmer until pork is tender (1½ hours).
3 For ssämjang, stir ingredients in a bowl to combine.
4 When pork is cool enough to handle, slice and serve with lettuce leaves, oysters, kimchi, ssämjang, soybean sprouts and extra pine nuts.
Note Doenjang, Korean fermented soybean paste, gochugaru, Korean chilli flakes, and gochujang, Korean chilli paste, are available from Asian grocers. Soju is available from select bottle shops.