Mess Tin Cola Bossam (Camping Recipe)
This is an easy recipe for making soft and moist bossam (boiled pork belly) in a camping mess tin, using cola for tender results.
📝 Editor's Notes
This Mess Tin Cola Bossam recipe is a special dish that can be easily prepared during camping or outdoor activities. It features the use of cola to eliminate any gamey odor from the pork and to make the meat astonishingly soft and moist. With the addition of a Korean medicinal herb sachet, you can enjoy a deep, sweet, savory, and umami-rich bossam. The cooking process is not complicated, making it easy for beginner cooks to try. It's perfect as a delicacy for camping trips or a special meal to enjoy with family at home.
🛒 Ingredient Tips
The first step to delicious bossam is selecting good ingredients. For pork belly, choose a cut with an appropriate balance of lean meat and fat for a softer, richer flavor. Fresh pork belly should have a vibrant pink color, be firm to the touch, and have no unpleasant odor. For the Korean medicinal herb sachet, you can use a commercially available product for convenience. If you're preparing your own, add small amounts of Hwanggi (황기), Licorice (감초), Dangui (당귀), etc. This secret ingredient helps remove any gamey smell from the pork and adds a deep aroma. Fresh onions, green onions, and garlic are also recommended.
🔄 Substitution Guide
If you prefer a leaner taste than pork belly, you can use pork shoulder (목살) or pork front leg (앞다리살). Pork shoulder has less fat than pork belly, offering a cleaner taste, while pork front leg is more affordable but can be slightly drier than pork belly. If you don't have cola or want to adjust the sweetness, try using apple juice or pear juice. They provide natural sweetness and help tenderize the meat. Instead of cola, adding doenjang (된장), coffee, or green tea bags can also effectively remove gamey odors, but the taste and aroma might differ slightly. If you don't have a Korean medicinal herb sachet, you can use whole peppercorns, bay leaves, or ginger to remove the gamey smell.
🥘 Ingredients
👨🍳 Cooking Points
There are three key cooking points for this Cola Bossam. First, pour enough cola to generously cover the ingredients. Too little, and the pork won't cook properly; too much, and it will take too long to reduce. Second, start by boiling over high heat, then reduce to medium-low heat, cover, and simmer thoroughly. Cook for approximately 40 minutes to 1 hour, flipping the pork once halfway through for even cooking. Third, add only a splash of soy sauce to give color and a slight seasoning. Be careful not to add too much, as the cola itself provides sweetness, and too much soy sauce can make it too salty. It's perfect when the pork is tender and the liquid has sufficiently reduced.
👨🍳 Directions
- 1
Place the pork belly slab, 1 onion, 2 green onion stalks, about 10 whole garlic cloves, and 1 Korean medicinal herb sachet (한약재 주머니) into a mess tin.
- 2
Pour in enough cola to cover the ingredients, then add a splash of soy sauce.
- 3
Place the mess tin on a stovetop, turn on the heat, and bring the pork to a boil with the lid closed.
- 4
While the pork is cooking, flip it once halfway through to ensure even cooking.
- 5
Continue to boil until the pork is tender and the liquid has significantly reduced.
- 6
Remove the well-cooked bossam from the mess tin, place it on a cutting board, and slice it into bite-sized pieces.
- 7
Arrange the sliced bossam on a plate and serve with ssam-baechu (쌈배추) or napa cabbage leaves, sliced onions, bossam-kimchi (보쌈김치), ssamjang (쌈장), pa-kimchi (파김치), and other desired accompaniments.
💡 Tips
Using cola effectively removes any gamey odor from the pork and makes the meat incredibly tender.
This recipe is perfect for easily enjoying outdoors, such as during camping or other outdoor activities.
Adding a Korean medicinal herb sachet (한약재 주머니) deepens the flavor of the pork.
📦 Storage & Reuse
Leftover bossam can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. If you want to store it longer, slice it into bite-sized pieces and freeze for up to 2-3 weeks. To reheat frozen bossam, microwave it or steam it to maintain its moisture. Pan-frying it lightly for a crispy exterior and juicy interior is also a delicious option. You can also shred leftover bossam to make a bossam rice bowl or add it to kimchi jjigae (김치찌개) to enhance its flavor.
🥢 Who This Is For
This Mess Tin Cola Bossam is highly recommended for those who enjoy camping and outdoor activities, as it offers a simple way to enjoy a fantastic meal outdoors. Of course, it also makes an excellent main dish for special occasions like housewarmings or family gatherings. Great accompaniments include fresh wrap vegetables (lettuce, perilla leaves, ssam-baechu (쌈배추) or napa cabbage leaves), crunchy bossam-kimchi (보쌈김치), sweet and sour radish salad (무말랭이 무침), and of course, salted shrimp sauce (새우젓). It tastes even better with a glass of cool makgeolli (막걸리).
🔥 Nutrition Info
Based on 2-3 servings, this Mess Tin Cola Bossam is estimated to be around 600-700 kcal per serving. It contains approximately 30-40g of protein and 40-50g of fat from the pork belly, and about 20-30g of carbohydrates from the cola and vegetables. Pork is rich in B vitamins and iron, which are beneficial for fatigue recovery, while onions and garlic add antioxidants and dietary fiber. However, be mindful of the sugar content in cola and the sodium content in soy sauce, and avoid excessive consumption. To balance nutrition, it's best enjoyed with fresh vegetables.
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