BO SSAM! BO SSAM!!!

Nephew Ry was in town last week, playing at Carnegie Hall (he got there one way, I got up there via the Q local).   So we hosted the extended fam at The Room for dinner the night before.  And what to serve…   A couple weeks ago, this recipe from Momofuku showed up in the NY Times magazine.  It’s Korean roast pork shoulder, pulled apart and served in Boston lettuce leaves (think taco) with sauces.  This whole concept really spoke to me, and so we rolled it all on out.   By the end of the evening I found myself repeatedly throwing my hands in the air yelling —   BO SSAM!!  BO SSAM!!   Plus we all may have been singing along too loudly to Toto.  Awesome.

I shredded up the caramelized roasted pork, and set in on the counter alongside the lettuce leaves, sauces and other accompaniments.  People took turns going down the line serving themselves – very cool and casual.  Sides were jasmine rice and (oddly) 4 heads of roasted cauliflower.  Not sure what my theory was there, but it went over well.  BTW, 4 heads of cauliflower chopped and roasted long enough will ultimately fit on one cookie sheet.  Just so you know.

The Recipe Review:

Here’s a few things I learned executing this recipe:

• Rather than walking the 3/4 mile from Whole Foods with the 10 pound pork shoulder, 4 heads of cauliflower and other ingredients, take a cab.  The pig’s shoulder had it worse, I suppose.
• Before roasting I scraped off the salt/sugar rub that hadn’t dissolved.  It seemed like a lot of salt to keep on there.
• The fermented bean/chili paste was inconveniently face-melting hot.  But it tamed after mixing with the grapeseed oil.
• For 13 people (including a handful of kids) you’ll need about 3 heads of Boston lettuce.
• For accompaniment, I added some scallions sliced thinly the long way and some Hoisin sauce.  I was going for a Mr. Chow’s Peking (Pekin?) Duck thing.
• Don’t skip the kimchi, it brings it all together.

The Takeaway:

This was a fun, interactive dish.  I will totally do this again, particularly for a big group.  It sounds exotic and a bit odd, though really it’s just pulled pork. But awesome pulled pork, caramelized with sugar, served with a crunch of fresh and pickled veggies.  And the sauces bring heat, salt, umami and sweet.   It’s a study in flavor and texture contrasts = major crowd pleaser.   Bo Ssam!!  BO SSAM!!!!

• Bo Ssam
• Korean
• Momofuku
• Mr. Chow
• Pulled pork
• This costs $200 at the restaurant