Momofuku-Style Bo Ssam
with rice / kimchi / pickled vegetables
This riff on Korean lettuce wraps was popularized by Chef David Chang. It's simple to prepare, but brings a huge "wow factor" to any dinner party. Whatever the occasion, it's the perfect feast to share with the people you love.
Smarts: Smaller bone-in roasts can be hard to find, so we've scaled this meal to serve 8. Check out this week's "Smarts From the Team" for suggestions on using up leftovers.
Cooking Methods: We’ve included slow cooker instructions for this meal due to its lengthy cook time, but oven-roasting yielded better results, so we recommend that as the preferred method. Select your preferred method below.
Ingredients
- Rice, uncooked white or brown - 2 cups
- Pork shoulder roast, bone-in - 7 to 8 lbs
- Sugar - 1/2 cup
- Salt, kosher - 1/2 cup + 1 Tbsp (use 1/2 cup Diamond Crystal salt or 1/3 cup Morton kosher salt for 8 servings, adjust if customizing; table salt is NOT recommended)
- Plastic wrap - for prep
- Kimchi - 1 1/2 cups , drained and chopped
- Lettuce, butter - 2 heads , leaves separated (sub another type of lettuce or serve multiple types for variety)
- Foil - for roasting
- Brown sugar - 1/2 cup
- Daikon radishes - 12 oz , peeled and thinly sliced (sub any radishes or carrots)
- Cucumbers - 12 oz , thinly sliced
- Vinegar, rice - 2 cups
- Sugar - 2 Tbsp
- Salt - 1 tsp
- Vinegar, sherry - 1/2 cup , sub rice or wine vinegar
- Oil, cooking - 1/2 cup
- Gochujang - 3 Tbsp
- Sriracha - 1 tsp
- Ginger, fresh - 1/2 cup , minced or grated
- Green onions - 2 1/2 cups , chopped; green and white parts combined
- Oil, cooking - 1/4 cup
- Soy sauce, low-sodium - 1 1/2 tsp
- Vinegar, sherry - 1 tsp (sub rice or wine vinegar)
Choose Cooking Method
Prep
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Dry brine pork - Pat the pork dry and place in a large bowl or baking pan. If your pork roast has a fat cap on it, don’t trim it off - it will help keep the meat juicy and will end up crispy and caramelized. Combine sugar with first portion of salt (portions for pork) and mix thoroughly. Rub salt and sugar mixture over all sides of the pork and into any folds or creases. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight or up to 24 hours. (Can be done 1 day ahead)
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Slow cook pork - After brining, remove plastic wrap and transfer pork to the bowl of a slow cooker with the fat cap up (discard any accumulated liquid from the brining process). Slow cook until the pork is collapsed and very tender, 8 to 9 hours on low or 4 to 5 hours on high. If you’re slow cooking the pork on a different day than you plan to serve it, warm the pork in an oven set to low until heated through before proceeding with the finishing step. (Can be done up to 5 days ahead)
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Rice - (Skip if made ahead for Tuesday) For white rice, rinse until clear. Fill a saucepan or Dutch oven (or rice cooker) with rice, water (use 2:1 ratio for water to rice), and some salt. Cover with lid and bring to a boil. Once water boils, stir, lower heat to a low-medium, and cover. Check white rice after ~20 min; brown at ~45 min. Rice is done when it's absorbed all the water. If it's not done, leave the cover on until all water has been absorbed. Take cover off to release steam and fluff with a wooden spoon after 5 minutes. (Can be done up to 5 days ahead)
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Daikon radishes / Ginger / Kimchi - Prep as directed and store separately. (Can be done up to 5 days ahead)
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Make ssam sauce - Whisk together vinegar (portion for ssam sauce), cooking oil (portion for ssam sauce), gochujang, and sriracha. Season to taste with some salt. (Can be done up to 5 days ahead)
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Make pickles - Slice cucumbers. Place cucumber and daikon slices in a jar or bowl just large enough to hold them. Combine vinegar, sugar, and salt (portions for pickles) in a small bowl or saucepan and warm briefly until sugar is dissolved. Pour the liquid over the vegetables, making sure they are almost completely submerged (add a bit more vinegar or some water if needed). Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes and up to 3 days. (Can be done up to 3 days ahead)
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Make ginger-scallion sauce - Chop green onions. In a medium bowl, stir together ginger, green onions, cooking oil (portion for ginger-scallion sauce), soy sauce, and vinegar (portion for ginger-scallion sauce). Season to taste with some salt.
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Lettuce - Prep as directed.
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Make
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When pork is finished cooking, heat the oven to 500 F / 260 C degrees and line a roasting pan with foil. Carefully remove pork roast from the slow cooker and place it in the roasting pan with the fat cap up (discard any accumulated juices). Note: If your roast seems like it may fall apart, carefully pour off as much accumulated liquid as possible from the slow cooker. Lay a second sheet of foil into the roasting pan and turn the pork out of the slow cooker onto it (it will be upside-down). Slowly pull the top sheet of foil out from under the pork, rolling it onto the bottom sheet of foil (it should now be right side up again). (If you slow cooked the pork on a different day than you are serving it, warm the pork in an oven set to low until heated through before proceeding with the finishing step.)
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Combine brown sugar with second portion of salt (portion for pork). Carefully rub the sugar and salt mixture all over the top of the pork, pressing lightly to help it adhere.
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Place pork into the heated oven and roast until the top is very dark, crispy, and caramelized, 8 to 15 minutes (watch it carefully to prevent burning). Remove from oven and let rest while you prepare the other ingredients.
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Drain the liquid from the pickles and give the sauces a stir.
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Place lettuce leaves, pickled vegetables, ssam sauce, ginger-scallion sauce, and chopped kimchi into serving bowls.
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If rice was made ahead, warm it in the microwave.
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Place the whole, un-sliced pork roast on a serving platter (or take the pan straight to the table if you prefer). Serve pork, lettuce leaves, rice, and toppings at the table, family-style.
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Let everyone pull pieces of pork straight off the roast and fill their own lettuce wraps as they like. Enjoy!
Prep
-
Dry brine pork - Pat the pork dry and place in a large bowl or baking pan. If your pork roast has a fat cap on it, don’t trim it off - it will help keep the meat juicy and will end up crispy and caramelized. Combine sugar with first portion of salt (portions for pork) and mix thoroughly. Rub salt and sugar mixture over all sides of the pork and into any folds or creases. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight or up to 24 hours. (Can be done 1 day ahead)
-
Rice - (Skip if made ahead for Tuesday) For white rice, rinse until clear. Fill a saucepan or Dutch oven (or rice cooker) with rice, water (use 2:1 ratio for water to rice), and some salt. Cover with lid and bring to a boil. Once water boils, stir, lower heat to a low-medium, and cover. Check white rice after ~20 min; brown at ~45 min. Rice is done when it's absorbed all the water. If it's not done, leave the cover on until all water has been absorbed. Take cover off to release steam and fluff with a wooden spoon after 5 minutes. (Can be done up to 5 days ahead)
-
Daikon radishes / Ginger / Kimchi - Prep as directed and store separately. (Can be done up to 5 days ahead)
-
Make ssam sauce - Whisk together vinegar (portion for ssam sauce), cooking oil (portion for ssam sauce), gochujang, and sriracha. Season to taste with some salt. (Can be done up to 5 days ahead)
-
Make pickles - Slice cucumbers. Place cucumber and daikon slices in a jar or bowl just large enough to hold them. Combine vinegar, sugar, and salt (portions for pickles) in a small bowl or saucepan and warm briefly until sugar is dissolved. Pour the liquid over the vegetables, making sure they are almost completely submerged (add a bit more vinegar or some water if needed). Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes and up to 3 days. (Can be done up to 3 days ahead)
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Make ginger-scallion sauce - Chop green onions. In a medium bowl, stir together ginger, green onions, cooking oil (portion for ginger-scallion sauce), soy sauce, and vinegar (portion for ginger-scallion sauce). Season to taste with some salt.
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Lettuce - Prep as directed.
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Make
-
Heat oven to 300 F / 150 C degrees and arrange the upper oven rack to accommodate your pork roast. Line a roasting pan or large baking dish with foil.
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Remove plastic wrap and transfer pork to the roasting pan with the fat cap up. Discard any accumulated liquid from the brining process.
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Place pork in the oven, uncovered, and roast until it reaches an internal temperature of 145F / 63C and is very tender, 4 to 6 hours (you should be able to easily tear chunks of meat off with a fork). Baste the pork with pan juices a few times during cooking to keep it moist and help with browning.
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When pork is finished cooking, remove it from the oven and turn the oven up to 500 F / 260 C degrees. Carefully pour off any accumulated juices (do not save the cooking liquid, as it will be very salty).
-
Combine brown sugar with second portion of salt (portion for pork). Carefully rub the sugar and salt mixture all over the top of the pork, pressing lightly to help it adhere.
-
Place pork into the heated oven and roast until the top is very dark, crispy, and caramelized, 8 to 15 minutes (watch it carefully to prevent burning). Remove from oven and let rest while you prepare the other ingredients.
-
Drain the liquid from the pickles and give the sauces a stir.
-
Place lettuce leaves, pickled vegetables, ssam sauce, ginger-scallion sauce, and chopped kimchi into serving bowls.
-
If rice was made ahead, warm it in the microwave.
-
Place the whole, un-sliced pork roast on a serving platter (or take the pan straight to the table if you prefer). Serve pork, lettuce leaves, rice, and toppings at the table, family-style.
-
Let everyone pull pieces of pork straight off the roast and fill their own lettuce wraps as they like. Enjoy!
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