Momofuku Bo Ssäm

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Momofoku bo ssam

We were lucky enough to eat at a couple David Chang establishments when we went to NYC a while back (remember traveling? And eating inside restaurants? That was nice.). In fact, I’m still trying to find a recipe for some broccoli salad with miso mayo my husband is still talking about years later (David, hmu). But, I did not have *thee* Momofoku bo ssäm. Actually, I had not had bo ssäm anywhere. So, obviously, this is the best bo ssam I’ve ever had.

I used a much smaller pork roast than this recipe called for (I wish I was serving a crowd but, again, covid) and, uh, we ate a lot of it. We all absolutely loved it. The pork was super tender, but that caramely-crispy crust? Ohhh yeah. We were fighting over the “outside” pieces. As a result of the smaller roast, I cut  everything roughly in half, but I’m putting the full recipe below in anticipation of the return of safe small gatherings.

Momofuku Bo Ssäm

  • 6.5 hours (mostly inactive)
  • 6 hours
  • 10-12 servings

Ingredients

  • 1 8-10 lb. bone-in Boston pork butt
  • 1 cup granulated sugar*
  • 1 cup* + 1 Tbsp. kosher salt, divided
  • 7 Tbsp. brown sugar
  • Ssäm sauce
  • 1Tbsp. ssämjang (fermented bean and chile paste)
  • 1/2 Tbsp. kochujang (Korean chile paste)
  • 1/4 cup sherry vinegar
  • 1/4 cup grapeseed or other neutral oil
  • Ginger Scallion Sauce
  • 2.5 cups sliced scallions (green and white parts)
  • 1/2 cup freshly minced/grated peeled ginger root
  • 1/4 cup grapeseed or other neutral oil
  • 1.5 tsp. lite soy sauce
  • 3/4 tsp. sherry vinegar
  • Quick pickles
  • 2 meaty kirby cucumbers, sliced 1/8" thick
  • 2 tsp. sugar
  • 1 tsp. kosher salt
  • Additional accompaniments like shucked oysters, kimchi, steamed white rice, bibb lettuce

Directions

  1. Mix together the granulated sugar and 1 cup of salt (*note: this will likely make too much; you may want to start with 3/4 cup of each since it's easy to make more). Place the roast in a roasting pan and rub the mixture all over the meat, discarding any extra. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.
  2. Heat the oven to 300°. Remove the pork from the refrigerator, discard any juices that have accumulated, and knock off any large chunks/crystals of salt. Put in the oven for about 6 hours, basting with the pork's juices about every hour. The meat should be tender and easily pull away from the bone.
  3. To make the ssäm sauce, combine all the ingredients and stir until evenly mixed.
  4. To make the ginger-scallion sauce, mix together all of the ingredients and then season to taste with salt.
  5. To make the quick pickles, combine the cucumbers with the sugar and salt in a small mixing bowl, tossing to coat. Let sit for 5 to 10 minutes. If you find the pickles are too salty or to sweet, rinse them and pat dry, then re-taste and adjust seasonings accordingly. The pickles can be refrigerated up to 4 hours.
  6. When ready to serve the bo ssäm (sauces and sides are made, etc.), turn the oven to 500°. Stir together the remaining 1 Tbsp. salt and the brown sugar and rub the mixture all over the pork. Place in the oven for 10-15 minutes until the sugar has melted into a crisp, sweet crust.
Very minimally adapted from Peachy Keen (Momofuku blog), ssam sauce from David Chang via Epicurious
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