Momofuku Bossam – Korean Slow Cooked Pork Roast Recipe

Momofuku Bossam (or Bo ssam) is David Chang’s well-known dish from his Momofuku restaurant in New York. It’s an epic centrepiece consisting of sluggish cooked pork roast with an insane caramelised crust, served with condiments for DIY totally loaded Korean lettuce wraps.

A showstopper made for sharing, astonishingly easy, enjoyable to eat and eye-rollingly scrumptious. Momofuku expenses US$250 for the privilege of consuming it. This prices a fraction of that!

Momofuku Bossam (or Bo ssam)

Momofuku Bossum is Chef David Chang’s well-known model of a conventional Korean pork dish referred to as Bossam which  consists of thinly sliced pork stomach simmered in a seasoned broth which can be then used to make lettuce wraps.

A signature dish at his New York restaurant Momofuku, he makes it utilizing a pork shoulder that’s been dry cured in a single day so it’s seasoned all over, sluggish roasted for five to six hours till collapse tender then blasted on the finish with a brown sugar rub which kinds an epic caramelised crust.

It’s a formidable centrepiece made for sharing, an consuming expertise you’ll keep in mind for years to return. In case you have it at Momofuku, it can value you a whopping US$250 (that’s A$350!!!). However it’s obscenely straightforward to make. You don’t even must make a visit to the Asian retailer! (Sure, actually)

The pork is dry cured in a single day so it’s seasoned all over from finish to finish, then sluggish cooked for five – 6 hours till collapse tender.

What’s served with Bossam

Listed below are all of the elements that make up David Chang’s Momofuku Bossam:

• Sluggish roasted pork – dry cured in a single day then sluggish roasted for five to six hours, the meat is seasoned all over and collapse tender, and encased with an insane crispy brown sugar crust that everyone fights over;

• Ginger shallot sauce – made with a LOT of ginger, this seals the deal;

• Spicy Ssam sauce – the one half that requires Asian grocery components, however shouldn’t be a crucial a part of the general Bossam expertise and is definitely replaceable with any scorching sauce or chilli paste;

• Rice and kimchi (spicy Korean pickled cabbage) – for stuffing into the lettuce wraps;

• Oysters – would possibly sound unusual but it surely works! Taken from the standard method of serving Bossam in Korea, uncooked oysters are stuffed into the lettuce wraps. It’s like a bit “shock inside” whenever you get to it. Fabulous textural and flavour distinction; and

• Smooth lettuce leaves – to stuff all the things in, bundle up and devour.

What you want

Right here’s what it is advisable make the sluggish cooked pork – 4 components!

Boston Butt

Greatest lower is Pork Butt aka Boston Butt which the higher a part of the pork shoulder. Butt is the best lower as a result of:

• it’s BIG, as in 3.5 – 4kg / 7-8 lb, and it must be so it could possibly maintain the lengthy cook dinner time required to attain the signature thick caramelised crust with out the meat inside turn out to be much less juicy than very best; and

• it’s an excellent rectangle form so it cooks by way of evenly.

🇦🇺Australia – get this lower at butchers or Costco (it’s superb worth).

How you can make Momofuku Bossam

And right here’s make it:

• Dry treatment with simply salt and sugar for twenty-four to 36 hours (ie rub with salt and sugar, refrigerate);

• Sluggish roast for five – 6 hours at 150°C/300°F or till fork tender;

• Cowl with brown sugar and blast in scorching oven for 10 minutes to create the brown sugar crust;

• Shred and serve with sauces and sides to make lettuce wraps – see under for sauces.

Sauces for Bossam

The 2 sauces served with Momofuku Bossam are:

1. Ginger Shallot Sauce (aka Ginger Scallion Sauce) – that is really a conventional sauce served with different dishes throughout Asia (eg Hainanese Chicken); and

2. Ssam Sauce – a spicy purple sauce made with Korean chilli pastes. Simple substitute with any chilli paste or scorching sauce.

Ginger Shallot Sauce

Only a handful of components – simply combine and go away to melt for simply 20 minutes or so.

Spicy Ssam Sauce

That is the spicy purple chilli sauce made with Korean chilli pastes (Gochujang and Ssamjang) and would require a visit to a Korean grocery retailer or massive Asian retailer to get them. Upon getting them, it’s a easy combine job.

However do NOT fret in the event you can’t get these chilli pastes. You don’t use loads of the Spicy Ssam Sauce so it’s completely not an enormous deal in any respect to only substitute it with a easy scorching sauce, chilli paste and even Sriracha!

Do NOT fear in the event you can’t get Gochujang and Ssamjang. Simply use your favorite chilli paste, Sriracha or a scorching sauce as a substitute – you simply need some sort of spicy sauce for the wrap!

How you can serve Bossam

Bossam is a DIY affair. Place the magnificent sluggish cooked pork on a big platter (or tray, as I’ve achieved) and encompass it with all of the sauces and sides which can be used to make the lettuce wraps:

• Ginger Shallot Sauce (Scallion);

• Spicy Ssam Sauce – or Sriracha, scorching sauce or chilli paste;

• Oysters – for the total Momofuku expertise;

• Kimchi – simply retailer purchased for me, fairly broadly out there these days;

• Rice (out of body – oops! 😂); and

• Smooth lettuce leaves – or crispy in the event you desire.

Then let everybody tear into the meat and kit your self up for a combat over that unbelievable crust (I’ll take anybody on to get my justifiable share)…

…and make your individual totally loaded Korean Lettuce Wraps. The Momofuku method.

This iconic Bossam recipe is David Chang’s, from his cookbook Momofuku. It’s additionally been shared in varied on-line publications, together with the New York Instances.

This recipe follows the printed recipe, however with some useful ideas and changes we’ve made after making this a number of instances through the years. For instance, the Ssam sauce as written in NYT has method an excessive amount of vinegar. There’s method an excessive amount of salt within the dry rub (you find yourself throwing half out), and we’ve found out get that brown sugar crust good – with out setting off your smoke alarm!

That’s sufficient from me. Now it’s your flip to impress the pants off your loved ones and pals! – Johnsat x

Watch make it

Momofuku Bossam – Korean Slow Cooked Pork Roast Recipe

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Serves: 10 Prep Time: 10 minutes Cooking Time: 5 hours 5 hours

Nutrition facts: 626 calories 20 grams fat

Rating: 5.0/5

( 1 voted )

Ingredients

• 3.5-4 kg/ 7-8 lb pork butt / shoulder , bone in & skinless (Note 1)
• 1/2 cup (110g) white sugar
• 1/2 cup (115g) kosher or cooking salt (NOT table salt) (Note 2)
• 1 tbsp kosher or cooking salt (NOT table salt) (Note 2)
• 7 tbsp brown sugar , light or normal (not dark)
• 2.5 cups scallions , thinly sliced (both green and white parts, ~5-6 stems)
• 1/2 cup fresh ginger , peeled and finely grated (Note 3)
• 1/3 cup canola oil (Note 4)
• 1.5 tsp light soy sauce (or all purpose, not dark soy sauce Note 5)
• 1 teaspoon sherry vinegar (Note 6)
• 1/2 tsp kosher or cooking salt , to taste (Note 2)
• 2 tbsp ssamjang (Note 8)
• 1 tbsp gochujang (Note 8)
• 5 tsp sherry vinegar (Note 6)
• 2 tbsp canola oil (Note 4)
• 1 tbsp water
• 1 tsp white sugar
• 4 – 5 heads butter/bib lettuce (40 – 50+ leaves, Note 9)
• 3 cups cooked white rice
• 500g/1lb kimchi
• 12 + oysters , raw, in shell (optional, Note 10)

Instructions

1. Mix sugar and salt together. Pat pork dry. Coat pork in sugar salt mixture, getting it into all the crevices. Rub/pat well to adhere as best you can – discard excess salt unused/falls off (usually ~ 2-3 tbsp).
2. Place in a glass dish (Note 13), cover loosely with cling wrap and refrigerated 24 – 36 hours (Note 11).
3. Preheat oven to 150°C/300°F (all oven types) with rack in the middle of oven.
4. Remove pork from fridge – surface will be wet. Either transfer pork to clean pan (metal, ceramic or glass) or drain off excess liquid / scrape out salt/sugar in same glass pan. Do not rinse pork.
5. Roast 5 hours (Note 12), uncovered, spooning over pan juices once each hour, until you can easily pull the meat apart with 2 forks (check on side).
6. Remove from oven, rest for 10 minutes (up to 1 hour is fine, loosely cover in foil).
7. Turn oven up to 260°C/500°F (all oven types).
8. Mix brown sugar and salt.
9. Spoon juices all over pork.
10. Spoon sugar onto pork and use your hands to make it stick to the top and sides (not underneath). Make layer on top as even as you can (for even caramelisation).
11. Place in oven for 10 minutes until surface is a deep golden crust, sugar is bubbling and caramelised (see VIDEO!). Keep a close eye on it from 5 minutes. If the highest points start getting black, cover with small piece of foil (just stick it on).
12. Remove from oven and transfer to serving platter for serving. (Don’t use pan juices, it will be salty from brine)
13. Ginger Shallot Sauce: Mix ingredients in bowl and stand for 20 minutes to let it soften.
14. Ssam Sauce: Mix ingredients together. Oil will naturally separate over time if sauce is left to stand, just mix again to reincorporate.
15. Place pork on serving platter with lettuce, oysters, kimchi, rice, Ginger Shallot Sauce and Ssam Sauce on the side.
16. Attack the pork – it will shred easily. Shred as much or little as you want, let people do it themselves or you can do it for them. Prepare to fight over the epic crust.
17. To eat, place lettuce in hand. Spoon in some rice, top with pulled pork, small piece of kimchi, oyster, some ginger shallot sauce then finally a little drizzle of spicy Ssam sauce.
18. Bundle up, bite and enjoy!

Notes

1. Pork – Pork Butt is a cut of pork shoulder that is much larger than the usual pork shoulder sold in Australian supermarkets. It is a formidable block of meat, a nice even rectangle shape which is key for ensuring the pork is slow cooked evenly so every part is meltingly tender – no dry bits anywhere!
Find it in butchers and Costco (Australia).
3.5-4kg/7-8lb is the ideal weight for best result (bone in, skinless) – the most incredible juicy pulled pork. Up to 4.5kg is still near perfect too. While this recipe will work very well for smaller pork shoulder, because the meat will cook faster it won’t develop quite the same flavour on the surface. See Note 12 for cook times for different sizes.
2. Salt – DO NOT USE TABLE SALT, it will be too salty (grains too fine, gets into pork too much). Use kosher or cooking salt, grains are larger.
If you have no choice but to use table salt (really not ideal though), cut down to 1/4 cup (ie for rub) and 1 1/2 tsp in Brown Sugar Crust and only Dry Cure for max 12 hours. 
3. Ginger – finely grate using a microplane or similar. If you don’t have one, mince with knife until very very fine.
4. Oil – or grapeseed, peanut or vegetable oil
5. Soy sauce – use light or all purpose. Don’t use bottle labelled “dark soy sauce”, far too intense flavour.
6. Sherry vinegar – sub with any of these: apple cider vinegar, red or white wine vinegar or champagne vinegar.
7. Ssam Sauce – if you can’t get your hands on the Gojuchang and Ssamjang paste, don’t fret. This Ssam sauce isn’t pivotal to the Bossam eating experience. Just make the Chilli Sauce in this recipe (scale up x 4 or 5), or just use Sriracha or another chilli paste instead of making Ssam.
8. Ssamjang and Gochujang – spicy Korean pastes available at most Asian grocery stores, Korean stores and online. Can’t find it? Don’t stress – read Note 7 for subs.
9. Butter/bib lettuce – soft lettuce often sold with roots. Soft lettuce ideal for making wraps. But crisp “cup” shaped lettuce will be fine too!Volume – easily makes 50+ lettuce wraps. Just get as much lettuce as you want to serve, knowing there’s enough pork for over 50 lettuce wraps (leftover pork is sensational)
10. Oysters – raw oysters are served with traditional bossam, it’s part of the eating experience! It’s like a “surprise inside” when you’re munching through the lettuce wrap and come across the oyster, great textural contrast.
Bit indulgent to have an oyster for every piece of lettuce so just provide as much as you’re willing to indulge in.
11. Brining/curing time – minimum 6 hours, 12 hours ok, 24 – 36 hours optimum, 48 hours ok too (especially if using 4.5kg/9lb pork)
DO NOT rinse pork after curing. You should only use enough sugar/salt rub so it sticks to the pork, don’t layer it on thickly on the surface. Recipes that suggest rinsing are probably using the wrong salt/sugar amount published in NYT and other media publications which is way too much (see Note 13 for more info).
12. Internal temp of pork is irrelevant in slow roasting because the internal temp doesn’t change once cooked beyond well done, but meat can still be tough. Need time not temperature for meat to become fall apart.
Oven types – for slow roasting at low temps, I find the same temp is required for standard and fan forced/convection.
Cook times – original recipe says 6 hours for 3.5 – 5kg / 7 – 10lb pork shoulder. That’s a HUGE variation in pork size and the cook times vary – here is the cook times by weight:
3.5 – 4kg / 7 – 8lb = 5 hours (best weight for most juicy flesh)
4.5/9lb = 5.5 hrs
5kg/10lb = 6 hrs
I haven’t tried this with smaller pork pieces, but based on other slow cooked pork I’ve done, I think the times will approximately be:
2 kg / 4lb = 3 hrs 45 min
2.5kg / 5 lb = 4 hrs
3kg / 6lb = 4.5 hrs
SLOW COOKER – won’t get quite the same flavour because you won’t get the same caramelisation, but can be done. 10 hours on low, urge you to finish in oven for best result. Do not use juices in slow cooker, will be too salty.
13. Glass pan – I use a glass pan because I can use the same dish for marinating and cooking. Never marinate in a metal pan (it can get into the food) and plastic can absorb the smell. If you don’t have glass, then marinate in any non reactive pan or large container/casserole dish (plastic, ceramic, glass) then cook any type of baking pan.
14. Recipe source and adjustments: This is Chef David Chang’s recipe, as published in his cookbook “Momofuku” and published in New York Times, with adjustment for issues we’ve discovered over the years we’ve been making this. Main changes:
Original recipe calls for 1 cup each salt and sugar which is WAY too much. This amount will never stick to the pork so it’s wasteful. Sprinkling excess over pork doesn’t work either – makes it way too salty. 1/2 cup of each works perfectly – you won’t throw out much, seasons the pork perfectly all the way through without being too salty;
Ssam sauce had way too much vinegar (had 1/2 cup) – way to sour; and
Cook time – original recipe says 6 hrs for 3.5-5kg/7-10lb pork. That range is too broad – 3.5kg/7lb pork for 6 hours = dry. Found that 3.5-4kg/7-8lb for 5 hrs is perfect, cook times for other weights in Note 12.
15. Leftovers – being a juicy cut of meat, the pork will reheat beautifully. Don’t have to use for wraps, just serve with all leftover condiments and sides – rice and sauce with kimchi etc. Store pork in fridge 4 to 5 days, or freeze up to 3 months. Do not be tempted to drizzle with juices left in roasting pan – it’s too salty from the curing.
16. Nutrition per serving for pork and all sauce. Higher than actual because it doesn’t take into account fat left in pan after roasting and there’s really no way for me to accurately measure the sodium (salt) that ends up in the pork. The crust is well seasoned, all the flesh is mildly seasoned all the way through. I’ve served this to people who are sensitive to salt and they don’t find it too salty.

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Sarah Miller

Hi, I’m Sarah Millar!
I’m a food blogger who loves creating quick and easy recipes that bring big flavor without the fuss. Cooking doesn’t have to be complicated — and I’m here to share simple, fast food ideas that anyone can make at home. When I’m not in the kitchen, you’ll usually find me tasting new dishes, exploring cafés, or coming up with fresh food hacks to make everyday meals more fun.

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