Momofuku Bossam (or Bo ssam) is David Chang’s famous dish from his Momofuku restaurant in New York. It’s an epic centrepiece consisting of slow cooked pork roast with an insane caramelised crust, served with condiments for DIY fully loaded Korean lettuce wraps.
A showstopper made for sharing, astonishingly simple, fun to eat and eye-rollingly delicious. Momofuku charges US$250 for the privilege of eating it. This costs a fraction of that!
Momofuku Bossam (or Bo ssam)
Momofuku Bossum is Chef David Chang’s famous version of a traditional Korean pork dish called Bossam which consists of thinly sliced pork belly simmered in a seasoned broth that are then used to make lettuce wraps.
A signature dish at his New York restaurant Momofuku, he makes it using a pork shoulder that’s been dry cured overnight so it’s seasoned all the way through, slow roasted for 5 to 6 hours until fall apart tender then blasted at the end with a brown sugar rub which forms an epic caramelised crust.
It’s a formidable centrepiece made for sharing, an eating experience you’ll remember for years to come. If you have it at Momofuku, it will cost you a whopping US$250 (that’s A$350!!!). But it’s obscenely easy to make. You don’t even need to make a trip to the Asian store! (Yes, really)
The pork is dry cured overnight so it’s seasoned all the way through from end to end, then slow cooked for 5 – 6 hours until fall apart tender.
What is served with Bossam
Here are all the components that make up David Chang’s Momofuku Bossam:
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Slow roasted pork – dry cured overnight then slow roasted for 5 to 6 hours, the meat is seasoned all the way through and fall apart tender, and encased with an insane crispy brown sugar crust that everybody fights over;
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Ginger shallot sauce – made with a LOT of ginger, this seals the deal;
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Spicy Ssam sauce – the only part that calls for Asian grocery ingredients, but is not a critical part of the overall Bossam experience and is easily replaceable with any hot sauce or chilli paste;
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Rice and kimchi (spicy Korean pickled cabbage) – for stuffing into the lettuce wraps;
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Oysters – might sound strange but it works! Taken from the traditional way of serving Bossam in Korea, raw oysters are stuffed into the lettuce wraps. It’s like a little “surprise inside” when you get to it. Fabulous textural and flavour contrast; and
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Soft lettuce leaves – to stuff everything in, bundle up and devour.
What you need
Here’s what you need to make the slow cooked pork – 4 ingredients!
Boston Butt
Best cut is Pork Butt aka Boston Butt which the upper part of the pork shoulder. Butt is the ideal cut because:
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it’s BIG, as in 3.5 – 4kg / 7-8 lb, and it needs to be so it can sustain the long cook time required to achieve the signature thick caramelised crust without the meat inside become less juicy than ideal; and
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it’s an even rectangle shape so it cooks through evenly.
🇦🇺Australia – get this cut at butchers or Costco (it’s very good value).
How to make Momofuku Bossam
And here’s how to make it:
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Dry cure with just salt and sugar for 24 to 36 hours (ie rub with salt and sugar, refrigerate);
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Slow roast for 5 – 6 hours at 150°C/300°F or until fork tender;
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Cover with brown sugar and blast in hot oven for 10 minutes to create the brown sugar crust;
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Shred and serve with sauces and sides to make lettuce wraps – see below for sauces.
Sauces for Bossam
The two sauces served with Momofuku Bossam are:
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Ginger Shallot Sauce (aka Ginger Scallion Sauce) – this is actually a traditional sauce served with other dishes across Asia (eg Hainanese Chicken); and
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Ssam Sauce – a spicy red sauce made with Korean chilli pastes. Easy substitute with any chilli paste or hot sauce.
Ginger Shallot Sauce
Just a handful of ingredients – just mix and leave to soften for just 20 minutes or so.
Spicy Ssam Sauce
This is the spicy red chilli sauce made with Korean chilli pastes (Gochujang and Ssamjang) and will require a trip to a Korean grocery store or large Asian store to get them. Once you have them, it’s a simple mix job.
But do NOT fret if you can’t get these chilli pastes. You don’t use a lot of the Spicy Ssam Sauce so it’s absolutely not a big deal at all to just substitute it with a simple hot sauce, chilli paste or even Sriracha!
Do NOT worry if you can’t get Gochujang and Ssamjang. Just use your favourite chilli paste, Sriracha or a hot sauce instead – you just want some kind of spicy sauce for the wrap!
How to serve Bossam
Bossam is a DIY affair. Place the magnificent slow cooked pork on a large platter (or tray, as I have done) and surround it with all the sauces and sides that are used to make the lettuce wraps:
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Ginger Shallot Sauce (Scallion);
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Spicy Ssam Sauce – or Sriracha, hot sauce or chilli paste;
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Oysters – for the full Momofuku experience;
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Kimchi – just store bought for me, quite widely available nowadays;
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Rice (out of frame – oops! 😂); and
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Soft lettuce leaves – or crispy if you prefer.
Then let everyone tear into the meat and gear yourself up for a fight over that incredible crust (I’ll take anyone on to get my fair share)…
…and make your own fully loaded Korean Lettuce Wraps. The Momofuku way.
This iconic Bossam recipe is David Chang’s, from his cookbook Momofuku. It’s also been shared in various online publications, including the New York Times.
This recipe follows the published recipe, but with some helpful tips and adjustments we’ve made after making this multiple times over the years. For example, the Ssam sauce as written in NYT has way too much vinegar. There’s way too much salt in the dry rub (you end up throwing half out), and we’ve figured out how to get that brown sugar crust perfect – without setting off your smoke alarm!
That’s enough from me. Now it’s your turn to impress the pants off your family and friends! – Nagi x
Watch how to make it
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Momofuku Bossam (Korean Slow Cooked Pork Shoulder Roast)
Ingredients
Slow Cooked Pork:
- 3.5-4 kg/ 7-8 lb pork butt / shoulder , bone in & skinless (Note 1)
- 1/2 cup (110g) white sugar
- 1/2 cup (115g) kosher or cooking salt (NOT table salt) (Note 2)
Brown Sugar Crust:
- 1 tbsp kosher or cooking salt (NOT table salt) (Note 2)
- 7 tbsp brown sugar , light or normal (not dark)
Ginger Shallot Sauce:
- 2.5 cups scallions , thinly sliced (both green and white parts, ~5-6 stems)
- 1/2 cup fresh ginger , peeled and finely grated (Note 3)
- 1/3 cup canola oil (Note 4)
- 1.5 tsp light soy sauce (or all purpose, not dark soy sauce Note 5)
- 1 teaspoon sherry vinegar (Note 6)
- 1/2 tsp kosher or cooking salt , to taste (Note 2)
Spicy Ssam Sauce (Note 7):
- 2 tbsp ssamjang (Note 8)
- 1 tbsp gochujang (Note 8)
- 5 tsp sherry vinegar (Note 6)
- 2 tbsp canola oil (Note 4)
- 1 tbsp water
- 1 tsp white sugar
Serving:
- 4 - 5 heads butter/bib lettuce (40 - 50+ leaves, Note 9)
- 3 cups cooked white rice
- 500g/1lb kimchi
- 12 + oysters , raw, in shell (optional, Note 10)
Instructions
Bossam Slow Cooked Pork:
- Mix sugar and salt together. Pat pork dry. Coat pork in sugar salt mixture, getting it into all the crevices. Rub/pat well to adhere as best you can - discard excess salt unused/falls off (usually ~ 2-3 tbsp).
- Place in a glass dish (Note 13), cover loosely with cling wrap and refrigerated 24 - 36 hours (Note 11).
- Preheat oven to 150°C/300°F (all oven types) with rack in the middle of oven.
- Remove pork from fridge - surface will be wet. Either transfer pork to clean pan (metal, ceramic or glass) or drain off excess liquid / scrape out salt/sugar in same glass pan. Do not rinse pork.
- Roast 5 hours (Note 12), uncovered, spooning over pan juices once each hour, until you can easily pull the meat apart with 2 forks (check on side).
- Remove from oven, rest for 10 minutes (up to 1 hour is fine, loosely cover in foil).
- Turn oven up to 260°C/500°F (all oven types).
Brown Sugar Crust:
- Mix brown sugar and salt.
- Spoon juices all over pork.
- Spoon sugar onto pork and use your hands to make it stick to the top and sides (not underneath). Make layer on top as even as you can (for even caramelisation).
- Place in oven for 10 minutes until surface is a deep golden crust, sugar is bubbling and caramelised (see VIDEO!). Keep a close eye on it from 5 minutes. If the highest points start getting black, cover with small piece of foil (just stick it on).
- Remove from oven and transfer to serving platter for serving. (Don't use pan juices, it will be salty from brine)
Sauces:
- Ginger Shallot Sauce: Mix ingredients in bowl and stand for 20 minutes to let it soften.
- Ssam Sauce: Mix ingredients together. Oil will naturally separate over time if sauce is left to stand, just mix again to reincorporate.
Serving:
- Place pork on serving platter with lettuce, oysters, kimchi, rice, Ginger Shallot Sauce and Ssam Sauce on the side.
- Attack the pork - it will shred easily. Shred as much or little as you want, let people do it themselves or you can do it for them. Prepare to fight over the epic crust.
- To eat, place lettuce in hand. Spoon in some rice, top with pulled pork, small piece of kimchi, oyster, some ginger shallot sauce then finally a little drizzle of spicy Ssam sauce.
- Bundle up, bite and enjoy!
Recipe Notes:
Volume - easily makes 50+ lettuce wraps. Just get as much lettuce as you want to serve, knowing there's enough pork for over 50 lettuce wraps (leftover pork is sensational) 10. Oysters - raw oysters are served with traditional bossam, it's part of the eating experience! It's like a "surprise inside" when you're munching through the lettuce wrap and come across the oyster, great textural contrast. Bit indulgent to have an oyster for every piece of lettuce so just provide as much as you're willing to indulge in. 11. Brining/curing time - minimum 6 hours, 12 hours ok, 24 - 36 hours optimum, 48 hours ok too (especially if using 4.5kg/9lb pork) DO NOT rinse pork after curing. You should only use enough sugar/salt rub so it sticks to the pork, don't layer it on thickly on the surface. Recipes that suggest rinsing are probably using the wrong salt/sugar amount published in NYT and other media publications which is way too much (see Note 13 for more info). 12. Internal temp of pork is irrelevant in slow roasting because the internal temp doesn't change once cooked beyond well done, but meat can still be tough. Need time not temperature for meat to become fall apart. Oven types - for slow roasting at low temps, I find the same temp is required for standard and fan forced/convection. Cook times - original recipe says 6 hours for 3.5 - 5kg / 7 - 10lb pork shoulder. That's a HUGE variation in pork size and the cook times vary - here is the cook times by weight:
- 3.5 - 4kg / 7 - 8lb = 5 hours (best weight for most juicy flesh)
- 4.5/9lb = 5.5 hrs
- 5kg/10lb = 6 hrs
- 2 kg / 4lb = 3 hrs 45 min
- 2.5kg / 5 lb = 4 hrs
- 3kg / 6lb = 4.5 hrs
- Original recipe calls for 1 cup each salt and sugar which is WAY too much. This amount will never stick to the pork so it's wasteful. Sprinkling excess over pork doesn't work either - makes it way too salty. 1/2 cup of each works perfectly - you won't throw out much, seasons the pork perfectly all the way through without being too salty;
- Ssam sauce had way too much vinegar (had 1/2 cup) - way to sour; and
- Cook time - original recipe says 6 hrs for 3.5-5kg/7-10lb pork. That range is too broad - 3.5kg/7lb pork for 6 hours = dry. Found that 3.5-4kg/7-8lb for 5 hrs is perfect, cook times for other weights in Note 12.
Nutrition Information:
The Spicy Side of Life: Korean recipes
Life of Dozer
There’s just no words to tell you how excited/hopeful Dozer was around such an enormous piece of meat.
Did he get some?🤔 Watch today’s recipe video to see!!!
James Glassbrook says
We made this for Christmas dinner. The sauces make it extra delicious.
Azuki C says
This is so insanely good I can’t imagine how it can taste any better at the restaurant…
Pork is so tender and juicy, the crunchy and sweet crust is a delightful surprise. The sauce is great too. We make similar scallion ginger sauce for soy chicken, I was hesitant about the vinegar but it cuts the fat and adds another layer of flavor.
Our meat is only 2.8 lbs, cut 250F for 5 hours.
As for salt, I use Redmond brand which is less salty than the average table salt, and it works great for this recipe. Not all salt taste the same, some is saltier. Same for soy sauce.
Ceci says
can’t wait to try it all! In the shallot sauce, how much shallot?
Jo says
Hi Nagi! Does the pork butt need to be bone-in? I was only able to find boneless and skinless at the supermarket. Thanks!
Janine says
Hi Nagi!
First of all, I love your website! So much inspiration:)
I want to make this recipe with NYE, but my question is: can I make this beforehand in the morning and heat it up last minute? And if yes, what would be the oven temperature and cooking time?
Many thanks and greetings from the Netherlands!
Cheers,
Janine
Nagi says
Hi Janine, yes it can. I would reheat covered in a warm oven until warmed through – probably 20 minutes. Then turn the heat up and give it 5 minutes to crispy up that crust on the outside. N x
Gail says
Excited to try this recipe. Should I use a cover on the pan while it cooks?
Nagi says
Hi Gail, no need to as you want that golden crust 🙂 N x
Karmen Maurer says
Nagi, I made this once before and it was AMAZING. I can’t recall whether I had many juices to braise with, but this time 1 1/2 hours into roasting I have nothing. I see a few dried out brown spots and baking in a Le Creuset ceramic cast iron lasagna pan b/c it’s much larger so couldn’t use the same glass baking dish as before. Thanks!
Kerry says
We were invited to a Korean dinner party so I cooked this. It was the star of the show!
Kimberly says
Hi Nagi, thanks for all of your great recipes! We’ve been enjoying them throughout lockdown.
Everything about this was great, but I agree with Marion that it was very salty for my taste. I used sea salt, as I do with all my other cooked dishes. So I’ll probably rinse it off in the future. I also think the final temp of 260 was a little too high, it dried out the pork a little when it was really soft and succulent prior to the brown sugar rub. Other than that, this was great! A definite repeat with the couple adjustments.
Kathy Hinton says
Hi Kimberly! I noticed you mentioned ” sea salt was to salty!” ..I’ve professionally cooked for 30 years and I’ll tell you, sea salt is Way saltier than Kosher salt. I never even buy it. Restaurants use Kosher Salt. Just know, there is a difference.
April says
I use Morton’s pickling salt because it has no additives. Worked perfectly! Amazing recipe!! I’m making it for the second time tomorrow. My pork is salted/sugared and in the fridge! I absolutely love the complexity of flavors in this dish.
Jeff says
Salts and the sodium flavor have a wide variance between brands. I had been using Morton for years but recently moved to Diamond Crystal and its made a big difference in my cooking.
If you have Netflix – watch “salt fat acid & heat” – specifically the salt episode. Good learning material in there.
Rebekah Sides says
I am curing my pork shoulder right now, but I left the skin on. Is this going to ruin it? I read in Chowhound how some others have left skin on, so I’m hoping it’s ok. And if so, should I cook skin side down?
Nagi says
Hi Rebekah, you’ll need the skin off for this recipe – you can easily cut it off 🙂 N x
Kristine says
Hi Nagi!
Quick question, does the pork go in fat side up or down?
Nagi says
Hi Kristine – Fat side up – you can see in the video I have posted. I have a fairly nice piece that’s been trimmed nicely – if you have a thick fat cap, try trimming it down slightly. N x
Marion says
I have done this pork butt today as per your recipe exactly. This is definitely way way too salty. A rinse or half the amount of salt would be preferable.
Nagi says
Hi Marion, it shouldn’t be too salty at all – could you have mis measured, what type of salt are you using? N x
Til Knowles says
I am so excited to make this dish! It’s marinating now. However I am a bit nervous because when I did the rub it didn’t seem to need the full amount – I rubbed in about 1/2 cup instead of just pouring the full cup over it. I guess I’ll let you know how it goes.
Anne says
Hi Nagi,
I started making this dish. I’m using an 8.5lb pork butt with skin on. Brined for 24 hrs. The instruction says to pour juice from pan every hour but mine didn’t have any juice after 2 hrs. Did I do something wrong? Will skin-on making a difference?
Dimps says
Hi, I’m making this tomorrow and I’m really excited. I’m just a little concerned about the salt. There’s no kosher salt here. Google says Himalayan Pink Salt is a substitute. Would that work for this recipe?
Nagi says
Hi Dimps – it’s the size of the grain that’s important here – you need cooking salt (generally Himalayan pink salt is rock salt). Cooking salt is larger grain than table salt. I have a note in the recipe if you have to use table salt here. N x
Debbie says
I don’t have an oven, just a toaster oven and I’m not sure this would fit in it. Could I do it in a slow cooker or even sous vide it? I’ve got a blaster that I can use for the carmelized top.
Nagi says
Hi Debbie, sorry no this one is only suitable for the oven unfortunately. N x
Cathy says
Hi Nagi,
I think I realised what I did wrong!
I used a ‘Raw’ sugar (which I have in my daily coffee) and Raw sugar has a larger granule than Brown sugar – so I am assuming that’s why the crystals took longer to breakdown – for the end part of the Caramelisation!
I will make sure to use brown sugar as you specify – as I presume brown sugar will have a finer granule than Raw sugar! Lol
Thankyou
Cathy x
Rena says
This looks amazing. Any way we can use this to make tacos? I went to a food truck once with kimchi and bbq Korean pork tacos and it was the best tacos of
my life.
Nagi says
Hi Cathy, yes that would definitely have played a factor in the caramelisation. I hope you give it another shot! N x
Cathy says
Okay where do I start!
Firstly this was truly Epic!
I made this dish today with everything except Oysters and I used the Sriracha sauce as my go to ‘Chilli sauce’ for this Recipe.
I also used Sauerkraut instead of Kimchi. – Delicious
I had never purchased Sriracha sauce before or tasted it and it was so delicious in this dish!
The Ginger Shallot sauce, Genius just Genius, what a lovely addition.
The rice and lettuce leaves, everything just worked so lovely together and even though the Pork was rich, everything else was so light and it just worked Beautifully.
I called this Recipe, ‘San Chow-Bow’ on steroids Lol
And me and Hubby said we don’t think we can or ‘want’ to eat Pork Shoulder any other way. 🤭
Apart from all that Loveliness I wanted to ask you a question Nagi.
So my Sugar/Salt addition at the end of the roast – it took more than 10 minutes to caramelise on 260 Oven-temp. Is that normal?
I felt like it took ages for my light brown sugar to break down & caramelise. I put it on liberally on the top & sides, do you have any thoughts on this?
As you state 10mins in the recipe but mine was in there for about half-hour.
And it did start to get very dark towards the end on some parts because of the longer time I had it in on high heat.
(So i used the foil on those parts)
Thankyou so Much!
Will definitely be making this dish Again!
Cathy x
Cathy says
I think I might have realised what I did wrong & why it took so much longer for the Caramelisation to take place.
I see in your notes it says specifically brown sugar but I used ‘Raw’ Sugar (which I use in my daily coffee) and it has a larger grain I presume than brown sugar.
So I’m thinking that’s why it took so long! Lol
But it was still Delicious – I’ll just make sure to use actual Brown sugar next time.
Cathy x
Autumn says
Delicious!! So happy i found this recipe! It was everything I never knew I wanted. I wish I could get my hand in the oysters ( Arizona and fresh seafood don’t mix 😂) but I’ll make this again for sure !
Glen Ackermann says
Do you think roasting the pork in a Traeger wood pellet grill (sitting in an open roasting pan) would be ok? I am wondering if the wood smoke flavor would mess with the flavor profile you are looking for? Also most pork shoulders around here are bone in. Is that suitable?