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Week of 11/25/24

Momofuku-Style Bo Ssam
with kimchi / pickled vegetables / gingered sweet potatoes

Active: 70 Total: 1030
Original GF Paleo Vegetarian
Momofuku-Style Bo Ssam

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.

Tags
Special Occasion, Slow Cooker
Proteins
Pork, non-ground
Cuisines
Asian - Korean
Save recipe
15

Ingredients

Metric
Servings:
8
Momofuku-Style Bo Ssam:
  • Pork shoulder roast, bone-in - 7 to 8 lbs
  • Honey - 1/3 cup + 1/3 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 (look for a vegetarian variety)
  • Lettuce, butter - 2 heads , leaves separated (sub another type of lettuce or serve multiple types for variety)
  • Foil - for roasting
  • Hot sauce - for serving
Pickled Vegetables:
  • Daikon radishes - 12 oz , peeled and thinly sliced (sub any radishes or carrots)
  • Cucumbers - 12 oz , thinly sliced
  • Vinegar, rice - 2 cups
  • Honey - 2 Tbsp
  • Salt - 1 tsp
Gingered Sweet Potatoes:
  • Sweet potatoes - 2 lbs , peeled and sliced into 1/2" / 1.3 cm rounds or half-moons
  • Ginger, fresh - 1 1/2 Tbsp , chopped
  • Foil - for roasting
  • Oil, cooking - 2 Tbsp
  • Honey - 1 Tbsp
  • Bragg's / coconut aminos - 2 tsp
Ginger-Scallion Sauce:
  • 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
  • Bragg's / coconut aminos - 1 1/2 tsp
  • Vinegar, sherry - 1 tsp (sub rice or wine vinegar)

Choose Cooking Method

Prep

  1. 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. Brush first portion of honey (portion for pork) over the surface of the pork. Rub first portion of salt (portion for pork) 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)

  2. 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)

  3. Daikon radishes / Sweet potatoes / Ginger (portions for ginger-scallion sauce and sweet potatoes) / Kimchi - Prep as directed and store separately. (Can be done up to 5 days ahead)

  4. Make pickles - Slice cucumbers. Place cucumber and daikon slices in a jar or bowl just large enough to hold them. Combine vinegar, honey, and salt (portions for pickles) in a small bowl or saucepan and warm briefly until honey 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)

  5. Make ginger-scallion sauce - Chop green onions and place in a medium bowl. Stir in ginger, cooking oil, aminos, and vinegar (portions for ginger-scallion sauce). Season to taste with some salt.

  6. Lettuce - Prep as directed.

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Make

  1. 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.)

  2. Line a baking sheet with foil. Toss sweet potatoes with ginger (portion for sweet potatoes), cooking oil (portion for sweet potatoes), and some salt and pepper. Transfer to the lower oven rack and roast until golden and crisp on the outside and tender inside, ~15 minutes. Toss with honey and aminos (portions for sweet potatoes) and transfer to a serving dish.

  3. Combine second portion of honey with second portion of salt (portions for pork). Drizzle or brush the mixture all over the top of the pork.

  4. Place pork on the upper oven rack 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.

  5. Drain the liquid from the pickles and give the sauces a stir.

  6. Place lettuce leaves, pickled vegetables, ginger-scallion sauce, and chopped kimchi into serving bowls.

  7. 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, toppings, and hot sauce at the table, family-style.

  8. Let everyone pull pieces of pork straight off the roast and fill their own lettuce wraps as they like. Serve sweet potatoes on the side. Enjoy!

Prep

  1. 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. Brush first portion of honey (portion for pork) over the surface of the pork. Rub first portion of salt (portion for pork) 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)

  2. Daikon radishes / Sweet potatoes / Ginger (portions for ginger-scallion sauce and sweet potatoes) / Kimchi - Prep as directed and store separately. (Can be done up to 5 days ahead)

  3. Make pickles - Slice cucumbers. Place cucumber and daikon slices in a jar or bowl just large enough to hold them. Combine vinegar, honey, and salt (portions for pickles) in a small bowl or saucepan and warm briefly until honey 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)

  4. Make ginger-scallion sauce - Chop green onions and place in a medium bowl. Stir in ginger, cooking oil, aminos, and vinegar (portions for ginger-scallion sauce). Season to taste with some salt.

  5. Lettuce - Prep as directed.

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Make

  1. 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.

  2. Remove plastic wrap and transfer pork to the roasting pan with the fat cap up. Discard any accumulated liquid from the brining process.

  3. 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.

  4. 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).

  5. Line a baking sheet with foil. Toss sweet potatoes with ginger (portion for sweet potatoes), cooking oil (portion for sweet potatoes), and some salt and pepper. Transfer to the lower oven rack and roast until golden and crisp on the outside and tender inside, ~15 minutes. Toss with honey and aminos (portions for sweet potatoes) and transfer to a serving dish.

  6. Combine second portion of honey with second portion of salt (portions for pork). Drizzle or brush the mixture all over the top of the pork.

  7. Place pork on the upper oven rack 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.

  8. Drain the liquid from the pickles and give the sauces a stir.

  9. Place lettuce leaves, pickled vegetables, ginger-scallion sauce, and chopped kimchi into serving bowls.

  10. 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, toppings, and hot sauce at the table, family-style.

  11. Let everyone pull pieces of pork straight off the roast and fill their own lettuce wraps as they like. Serve sweet potatoes on the side. Enjoy!

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