The Seductive Flavors of David Chang’s Bo Ssam

David Chang is a name known throughout the foodie world. And if you’ve ever dined at any one of his restaurants you’d know why. Get ready for pure culinary seduction: Foie grass with riesling jelly lychee and pinenuts, the best, and I mean BEST steamed pork buns you will ever try, and of course the infamous Bo Ssam (see recipe below), a succulent pork dish made with pork shoulder from Niman Ranch that is slow roasted for 6-8 hours with a brown sugar and kosher salt rub. If you love pork, this is something you must try!

Bo Ssam is served at the Momofuku Bar, which is on Second Avenue in NYC. This dish is served family style and easily fed our entire table of 8, with some go-bags for a lucky few. Moans of cuilnary pleasure (which course is a sure sign of a Seduction Meal) will be heard from your table, as you lovingly lick your fingers and dig in for more!

As is the case with any popular restaurant in New York, I hope your experience is a good one given the number of people that jam into Momofuku Bar hoping to experience it at its best.

 What is Bo Ssam?

Bo ssäm (which is korean for enclosed or wrapped) includes a whole slow cooked pork shoulder, a dozen oysters, white rice, bibb lettuce, ssäm jiang (korean bbq sauce), kimchi and ginger scallion sauce. The dish is essentially pork and condiments wrapped in lettuce.

The Cost?

Served family style, Bo Ssam is prepared for large groups with a flat cost of $200 for your entire party. The cost does not include other food and drinks ordered or tax and tip.

Do I need a reservation? How far in advance does one have to reserve?

Yes! You need a reservation as each pork butt is cooked with your name on it. Their web site recommends up to 4 weeks in advance and at least 24 hours notice for Monday to Thursday reservations. Friday, Saturday and Sunday reservations close at 11:30pm on Thursday evenings. There is a fee for cancellations so book wisely.

David Chang’s Bo Saam Recipe
Serves 8 – 10

While most of us will not spend this amount of time and dedication on a recipe, it is good to know you can be served this wonderful dish at Momofuku Bar. For those that love creating sensational dishes–here is the recipe and a link to David’s cookbook below.
 
Ingredients:

• 10 pounds bone-in Boston pork butt
• 2 1/3 cups white sugar
• 2 1/3 cups plus 2 tablespoons salt
• 4 each red and green chiles
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 4 cups uncooked Korean rice
• 2 heads Boston lettuce
• Sagyegeol ssam jang (Korean soybean paste)
• Salted shrimp
• 1 pound cabbage or daikon kimchee

Directions:

• The night before:
• Place 2 cups each sugar and salt in a bowl or saucepan large enough to hold the butt, add 6 cups water and stir until dissolved. Place the pork butt in the brine solution. Make sure it’s submerged (weight it if necessary), and refrigerate overnight.
• Clean the chile peppers (leave the seeds in for a hotter flavor) and slice them 1/2-inch thick, on the bias. Mix 1/3 cup of sugar and 1/3 cup salt with 1 cup water until dissolved, pour over the chiles, and set aside. 
• Preheat the oven to 300 degrees. Place the pork in a large 6-in deep pot or casserole, and cook uncovered in the oven for 6 1/2 – 7 1/2 hours, basting the pork with the pan drippings every hour. 
• When the meat is fork-tender and pulls away from the bone, sprinkle the exterior with a mixture of 1 tablespoon brown sugar and 1 tablespoon salt. Increase oven temperature to 500 degrees, and continue roasting until the outside is well caramelized. Remove from oven.
• Rinse the rice well to remove any sediment. Add 7 cups cold water, 1 tablespoon salt, and 4 cups rice. Cook for 20 minutes or until water evaporates.. 
• Clean and wash the lettuce, select the best leaves and set aside.

Assembly and Servings:

1. Place the pork on a large platter surrounded with the pickled chiles.Arrange the Korean rice, saam jang, salted shrimp, kimchee, and lettuce in separate bowls.
2. Allow guests to assembe their saam by wrapping each component in a lettuce leaf.

David Chang’s Momofuku Cookbook