Back in March, I posted my slow cooker beef shank recipe and said there will be another slow cooker recipe coming soon. This one is a slow cooker version of the boiled pork dish called bossam (보쌈, pork wraps). I like to slow cook pork belly because it renders more fat than boiling if you are concerned about the fat content of pork belly. For a collection of the best slow cooker (or crock pot) Korean recipes, visit here.
Sometimes, I use Boston butt (moksal,목살, in Korean) or picnic shoulder (apdarisal, 앞다리살, in Korean), which also works nicely. If you’re using a big roast cut, simply cut it into 2 to 3 thick strips so the seasoning can better penetrate the meat.
Speaking of the seasoning, I used a tablespoon of doenjang (Korean fermented soybean paste) along with garlic, ginger, salt and pepper. Doenjang is commonly used in Korean cooking to flavor pork, and I also use it for the boiled version of this pork belly. You can omit it and simply use more salt if you want (I do that sometimes).
After 3 hours, the meat was tender enough but firm enough for slicing. My old slow cooker takes an additional 30 minutes to an hour to come to the same tenderness. I bought a new slow cooker mainly to test cooking time because the other one is very old. I’ve noticed a vast difference between the two. So, adjust the cooking time depending on your slow cooker, how thick your meat is, and how tender you’d like it to be.
For this recipe, I seared the meat in a pan with a simple sauce to kick it up a notch. This adds a nice flavor and color, but it’s an optional step. You can also double the sauce recipe and drizzle over the pork slices to serve. I recommend this if you’re serving it without cabbage or lettuce wraps.
Ingredients
- 2 to 3 whole fresh pork belly about 2 to 3-inch wide cut - 2.5 to 3 pounds
- 1 medium onions
Seasoning for the pork
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 1 tablespoon grated ginger
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 tablespoon doenjang Korean fermented soybean paste, or use 1 more teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Sauce for glazing
- Double this if you want to serve with a sauce.
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons rice wine or dry white wine
- 4 tablespoons liquid from cooking the pork belly, strained through a strainer.
- 1 tablespoon sugar
Garnish
- Pachae 파채, (thinly sliced scallions) - 3 to 4 scallions
- A handful of radish sprouts
Instructions
- Combine all the seasoning ingredients in a small bowl.
- Cut the onion in half, and roughly slice each half, and place the slices at the bottom of the slow cooker in a single layer. Add 1/2 cup of water (or brewed coffee) to the slow cooker. Rub each pork belly with the seasoning mix. Place them on top of the onion.Cook on high for 3 to 4 hours (5 to 6 hours on low) until the pork reaches the desired tenderness.
- Combine all the sauce ingredients in a small bowl. Pour the sauce to a large pan, and bring to a boil over medium heat. Using a pair of kitchen tongs, add the meat and sear until all sides are nicely glazed with the sauce and the meat is slightly caramelized, a minute or two on each side. Do not burn the sauce.
- If doubling the sauce, use the same pan, after removing the meat, to boil the sauce over medium heat until slightly thickened. Adjust the salt level by adding a little bit of water if needed.
- Transfer the meat to a cutting board. Thinly slice crosswise.
- Serve simply with the thinly sliced scallions, or serve with some lettuce and ssamjang. Drizzle the sauce over the meat if using extra sauce. See note.
To make pachae (thinly sliced scallions)
- Cut each one into about 4 inch lengths. Slice each piece lengthwise as thin as possible.
- Soak the sliced scallions in cold water for 5 to 10 minutes to remove a bit of pungency and drain well.
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Hi, can I make this in an instant pot instead of slow cooker?
A question please. Can Japanese miso paste substitute for doenjang in this recipe?
Sure. It will be a little different, but still good.
Hi what was the 4 tablespoon cooking liquid? Is that some kind of Mirin style sweet cooking seasoning?
The liquid from cooking the pork belly.
How would you change the cooking time if the pork belly was already sliced? Looks delicious!
Thanks for the delicious recipe! the pork belly just melts in my mouth! I ate the pork belly & scallions wrapped in lettuce leaves… so delish! What do you do with all the juice from the slowcooker pot?
Maybe I’m missing something, but my question is…what is the “cooking liquid” in the sauce for glazing?
Made it for dinner. It didn’t look as nice as yours since the belly slices I had were too thin. But it tastes soooo good!!!!! I used coffee in the cooking and v that gives it an awesome flavour.
Happy to hear that! Coffee is always nice with pork belly. Thanks for leaving me a note! It means a lot to me.
Do you happen to know what was the 4 tbsp cooking liquid?
That’s the liquid from cooking the pork belly. Thanks.
Absolutely delicious. Some of the best pork I’ve ever had! I served it with some roasted veg and potatoes for a great British/Korean Sunday roast. Perfect, thank you.
That’s great to hear! Your British/Korean Sunday feast sounds really good. Thank you so much for trying out my recipe and letting me how it turned out for you! Cheers!
Hi. I thoroughly enjoy all your recipes on this blog. They’re delicious and very simple to make. Just one question for this recipe; how do you slice your onion to put at the bottom of the pot? Is it just thin half moon slices?
Thank you! It really doesn’t matter, but thick slices are better for slow cooking. Enjoy!
Love the photographs and the way you explain the recipes. I have seen a lot of recipes and videos on Korean cooking, and I have to say you are the far “BEST”. THANK YOU for sharing and posting great recipes.
Aww thank you so much for such generous and encouraging words! It really means a lot to me. It’s my great pleasure to share the recipes!
Hi! I enjoy your recipes and recommend your website to all my friends, Korean and non-Korean. In this recipe, the searing seems to give a nice color to the meat. What is the sauce you use to sear? Thank you!
Thank you for spreading the word! I really appreciate it. The sauce ingredients are in the recipe. Enjoy!
Thanks for a great recipe! The last time I cooked pork belly, the skin was very tough and chewy. Do you have any tips for solving that problem?
How did you cook it? It shouldn’t be tough if it was boiled or slow cooked. Depending on the cooking method you used, maybe you can cook a bit longer.
Can we use black bean paste instead?
Yes you can. It will taste a little different but should be fine and still delicious!
Hi Hyosun, I have made your stovetop bossam recipe a few times (and love it!) so I am stoked you have a slow cooker version. Just a question on the pachae – how do I make the tangy Soy sauce based dressing that it would be tossed with for Korean bbq wraps etc? Thank you!
Thank you, Li-young! I will post that as a separate recipe, but basically add a little bit of gochugaru, sesame oil, sesame seeds, sugar and soy sauce. You can also add some vinegar if you want.
Beautiful!
Thank you!