Slow-Roasted Pork Wrapped in Lettuce with Ginger, Scallions and Red Chilies
Normally I can’t resist tweaking a recipe, but not this time. As soon as I read this article and recipe in the New York Times for Momofuku Bo Ssam, I began to plan my week around making it. Adapted from the Momofuku cookbook by David Chang and Peter Meehan, this Korean-inspired recipe has perfection written all over it. Despite its exotic name with a restaurant pedigree, I might call this dish Lacquered Slow-Roasted Pork. The meat alone is a masterpiece, oven-roasted to a crispy, caramelized heap with nothing more than copious amounts of sugar and salt. It’s then wrapped in lettuce (ssam), brightened with an intoxicating muddle of ginger and scallions and thoroughly electrified with a fermented bean and chili sauce which will rock any Scoville Scale. If it’s not broken, then don’t fix it.
Bo Ssam: Slow-Roasted Lacquered Pork with Ginger, Scallions and Chile Sauce
I have adjusted ingredients to suit my pantry and adapted the quantities to generously feed a family of 4 with lots of leftovers.
Makes about 8 servings.
For the pork:
4 pounds pork butt (shoulder)
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup kosher salt, plus extra for sprinkling
1/4 cup brown sugar
For the ginger-scallion sauce:
1 bunch scallions, about 8, white and green parts, thinly sliced
1/4 cup freshly grated ginger
2 tablespoons grapeseed oil
1 teaspoon light soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon sherry vinegar
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
For the red chili sauce:
1 tablespoon fermented bean and chili paste
1 teaspoon sweet chili sauce
2 tablespoons sherry vinegar
2 tablespoons grapeseed oil
Cooked basmati rice
Bibb lettuce leaves, washed and dried
Place the pork in a large bowl. Combine the granulated sugar and 1/2 cup salt in a small bowl. Rub all over the meat. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.
When you are ready to cook, heat oven to 300 F. Remove pork from refrigerator and discard any accumulated juices. Place the pork in a roasting pan. Roast in the oven until the pork is falling apart tender, about 5 hours, basting occasionally. Remove meat from oven. Increase oven temperature to 500 F. Rub brown sugar all over pork. Sprinkle with a little salt. Return to the oven. Roast until a dark caramel crust forms on the pork, 10-15 minutes. Remove from oven. When cool enough to handle, shred into pieces and large chunks. Arrange on a serving plate.
While the meat is roasting, prepare the ginger-scallion sauce and red chili sauce. Combine all of the ingredients for the ginger-scallion sauce together in a bowl. Taste for seasoning and set aside. Combine all of the ingredients for the red chili sauce together in a bowl. Set aside.
To serve: Place a few forkfuls of shredded pork in the center of a lettuce leave. Top with rice, ginger-scallion sauce and a drizzle of red chili sauce.
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You are doing it AGAIN… (sigh)
You are now my official inspirational cook for all things related to pork… This will go to my files right away, and I promise it won’t take me 5 months to try it
awesome dish!
I too saw this in the NYT but wasn’t brave enough to try it – heavenly.
Those look really good! I love the idea.
Cheers,
Rosa
This looks amazing. I don’t use shoulder very much, except for in BBQ and sausage and really need to break out of that mold. This looks like a great way to do that.
Oh my, it looks like dessert in the form of pork. I’m not sure if that even sounds good, but it’s meant to!
Oh my goodness, this is fantastic. I shall try it. I am very attracted to long cook recipes. just whisper caramelised to me and I am there.. mouth watering c
Good follow through! We clipped it out too but got interrupted by … oh who knows, life maybe? Dropped the clipping into a bottomless box just today, thanks to you I will retrieve it!
As a wimpy vegetarian, I make a very conscious, thoughtful, decision on my rare wanderings into meat, and I consciously choose this recipe! I really need to try this. I was at a function last night that served hoisin pork in lettuce cups that was so good, but this looks just amazing.
This looks divine! I love Korean roasted pork- it’s one of my favorite splurges. There’s a great Korean restaurant near me that makes roasted pork sliders that I crave all the time- this dish looks similar. I’ve always wanted to go to Momofuku- will put this recipe on my must-try list!
This looks fantastic! This one has been on my short list since the NYTimes article and now it is even higher. Love the photos too!
I love serving this dish. Cracking it open at the middle of the table and letting everyone build their own Korean taco. David Chung serves them with raw oysters as well. That is a perfect combo. Just love this dish. It is also really affordable way to feed a crowd as well.
Such pretty photos and I love that it’s called “Lacquered”. You’re right, if it’s not broken…
My mouth watered as I read the recipe, Lynda, which is really hard to believe because I just finished a very tasty lunch of left overs! I’m definitely going to try this for our next dinner party. Gorgeous colours too.
You had me at Momofuku! This looks spectacular, and your photos are gorgeous as always. It’s been too long since I stopped by your beautiful blog – I have a lot of catching up to do!
These look divine! Love putting things into lettuce cups, and love the crispy glazed meat with such wonderful seasonings!
Looks amazing! I so have to try making this!!
Need a little shopping help (great Asian supermarkets here in PDX but a little intimidating if I don’t know what I’m looking for). Do you have a brand of the fermented bean and chili paste that you recommend? Thanks!
Amen sister…there’s no need to mess with perfection. I will absolutely be making this for the clan, thanks for sharing. Love your overhead shot!
Oh yeah! They look amazing!
I love Momofuku! I’ve made their ginger scallion noodles numerous times and it’s amazing! That pork recipe looks so good! Saving it for later
Oh my, this is right up my street. I’m drooling at the thought, thanks for sharing.
That looks fantastic! Nicely done!
This is definitely on my to-do list
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Hello! Just wanted to let you know that you are featured in this month’s May Foodie Round-up over at Brit Mums
http://www.britmumsblog.com/2012/05/foodie-round-up-asparagus-and-pea-frittata-lacquered-pork-and-a-scots-larder/