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Carmen

Momofuku Bo Ssäm Recipe - Korean Pork Roast

5 from 4 votes
Bo ssam is a traditional Korean dish made with succulent pork shoulder rubbed with sugar and salt and slowly roasted until it is fall-apart tender. It is finished with a brown sugar crust for a beautiful, caramelized flavor and texture. The result is a juicy and flavorful pork roast that just melts in your mouth --- no wonder why this dish has become so popular!
Print Recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 5 hours
Total Time 4 hours 10 minutes
Servings: 4 -6 people
Course: roast
Cuisine: roast
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • Roast Pork
  • 5-8 lbs of whole bone-in pork butt
  • ½ cup white sugar
  • ½ cup salt
  • 5 tablespoon brown sugar
  • Serve with
  • Kimchi
  • Butter lettuce
  • 2-3 cups of cooked jasmine rice
  • Ssam Sauce
  • 3 tablespoon Ssamjang
  • 1 tablespoon Gochujang
  • 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
  • ½ tablespoon sugar
  • 2 tablespoon of warm water
  • Ginger Scallion Sauce
  • ¼ cup of avocado oil
  • 3 stalks of green onions thinly sliced
  • 1 tablespoon grated ginger 2 inches
  • 1 tablespoon minced garlic
  • 1 tablespoon low sodium soy sauce
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper

Equipment

Method
 

  1. Marinate: On a baking tray, rub the pork shoulder with the salt and white sugar. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 12 - 24 hours. 
  2. Remove the plastic wrap. Remove the excess liquid. Scrape off salt and sugar. DO NOT RINSE the pork. 
  3. Slow Roasted Pork: Preheat the oven to 300 degrees. Line the baking tray with parchment paper or foil. 
  4. Roast in the oven for 3-4 hours, uncovered. Roast the pork fat side up. Baste it with the juices every 40 minutes. Take it out when it is pull apart tender. Let it rest 10 minutes to cool down before applying the brown sugar crust. 
  5. Make the sauces: The best time to make the sauces is when the pork is roasting. 
  6. Ginger Scallion Sauce: Prep the ingredients. Heat the oil in a small pot and pour the oil into the ginger scallion mix. 
  7. Ssamjang Sauce: Combine the sauce ingredients and mix them together. 
  8. Prep the banchan - other side dishes. Wash and separate the lettuce, cook the rice, and cut the kimchi into bite-size pieces. 
  9. Brown Sugar Crust: Wear silicone gloves in case the pork is too hot to handle. 
  10. Set the oven to 500 degrees. 
  11. Rub the brown sugar all over the pork. 
  12. Roast for 5-10 minutes. To get a better crust, BROIL for 2-3 minutes. 
  13. Let it rest for 10-15 minutes, and enjoy!

Notes

Do not rinse the pork after brining! Just brush off the excess salt and sugar before roasting. If you rinse the pork, all of the flavors will be washed away and your bo ssam won’t taste as good.

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