Suyuk (Korean Boiled Pork)

Name: Suyuk (Korean Boiled Pork)
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 1 h
Total time: 1 h 15 min
Yield: 3 servings
Ingredients: 800 g Pork; 1 stalk Green onion; 1 Onion; 6 Garlic cloves; 1 knob Ginger; 2 tbsp Doenjang (soybean paste); 1 tsp Whole peppercorns; 3 tbsp Rice wine; 1 tsp Instant coffee; 2 Bay leaves; 2 tbsp Saeujeot (salted shrimp); 0.5 tsp Gochugaru; 0.5 tsp Minced garlic; 1 tsp Sesame oil

Pork simmered until tender in an aromatic doenjang broth, then sliced thick against the grain. Served with salted-shrimp dip, kimchi, and garlic — the heart of a bossam spread.

Ingredients

3servings

Pork · whole belly or shoulder/leg800 g
Green onion · green tops1 stalk
Onion · halved1
Garlic cloves6
Ginger · sliced1 knob
To tame the gaminess
Doenjang (soybean paste)2 tbsp
Whole peppercorns1 tsp
Rice wine · or soju3 tbsp
Instant coffee · optional1 tsp
Bay leaves · optional2
Salted-shrimp dip
Saeujeot (salted shrimp)2 tbsp
Gochugaru0.5 tsp
Minced garlic0.5 tsp
Sesame oil1 tsp

Steps

Fill a pot with enough water to submerge the pork, stir in the doenjang, and bring to a boil. Lower in the whole piece of pork.
⏲ 5 min
Add the green onion, onion, garlic, ginger, peppercorns, rice wine, coffee, and bay leaves. Skim off any foam that rises.
⏲ 3 min
Reduce to medium-low and simmer 50-60 minutes. It's done when a chopstick slides in with no pink juices.
⏲ 50 min
Turn off the heat and let the pork rest in the broth for 10 minutes so it stays moist. (Slicing it right away dries it out.)
⏲ 10 min
Mix the saeujeot with gochugaru, minced garlic, and sesame oil for the dipping sauce.
Slice the pork thick against the grain and serve warm with the salted-shrimp dip, kimchi, garlic, and lettuce wraps.

Tips & Variations

Variations

Bossam: Wrap the suyuk with salted napa cabbage, bossam kimchi, and oysters.
Garlic bossam: Pile on sliced raw garlic for a sharp kick.
Perilla suyuk: Simmer with plenty of ground perilla seeds for a nutty broth.
Cold suyuk salad: Chill it and toss with vegetables and mustard sauce for summer.

Tips

Simmering with doenjang kills the gaminess and adds savory depth; coffee and rice wine help too.
Use just enough water to cover — too much leaches out the flavor.
Rest the pork in the broth before slicing so it stays moist; pulling it out right away makes it dry.
Always slice against the grain for tender bites.
Belly is richer, shoulder/leg is leaner — pick to taste.

✏️ Improve this recipe

contributors: 0 ·Edit history