Momofuku Bossam (Korean Slow Cooked Pork Shoulder Roast)
User Reviews
5
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Prep Time
10 mins
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Cook Time
5 hrs
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Dry curing time
1 d
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Total Time
1 d 10 mins
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Servings
10 - 12 people
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Calories
626 kcal
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Course
Main Course
Momofuku Bossam (Korean Slow Cooked Pork Shoulder Roast)
Description
This recipe begins by applying a kosher salt and sugar rub to a large bone-in, skinless pork shoulder, which is refrigerated for 24 to 36 hours to dry cure the meat. The pork is then slow-roasted uncovered at low heat, basted with juices hourly until it easily pulls apart, ensuring a meltingly tender texture. After resting, a brown sugar and salt crust is applied, and the pork is roasted at high heat to develop a caramelized exterior.
The dish includes a ginger shallot sauce combining scallions, grated ginger, oil, soy sauce, sherry vinegar, and salt for brightness and aroma. A spicy ssam sauce made from ssamjang, gochujang, vinegar, oil, water, and sugar adds heat and depth. The pork is traditionally served with butter or bib lettuce leaves, cooked rice, kimchi, and optional raw oysters, allowing diners to assemble wraps.
Using a large pork shoulder cut ensures even slow cooking and juicy results. Kosher salt is preferred over table salt due to grain size and seasoning control. The ssamjang and gochujang pastes provide Korean authenticity but can be substituted to personal taste. Leftovers reheat well and can be repurposed beyond wraps.
Cooking times depend on pork weight; 3.5–4 kg roast cooks approximately 5 hours. Do not rinse the pork after curing to preserve seasoning balance. Use glass or non-reactive dishes for curing and roasting. Oven temperatures remain consistent across convection or standard ovens.
Ingredients
Slow Cooked Pork:
- 3.5-4 kg/ 7-8 lb pork shoulder bone in & skinless (Note 1, or pork butt
- 1/2 cup (110g) white sugar
- 1/2 cup (115g) kosher salt Note 2, or cooking salt (not table salt
Brown Sugar Crust:
- 1 tbsp kosher salt Note 2, or cooking salt (not table salt
- 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 ginger peeled and finely grated (Note 3, fresh
- 1/3 cup canola oil (Note 4)
- 1.5 tsp soy sauce or all purpose, not dark soy sauce Note 5, light
- 1 teaspoon sherry vinegar (Note 6)
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt to taste (Note 2, or cooking salt
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 butter lettuce 40 - 50+ leaves, Note 9, heads, aka bib lettuce
- 3 cups white rice cooked
- 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!
Notes
- Use bone-in, skinless pork shoulder weighing 3.5–4 kg for best results; smaller cuts cook faster but develop less crust flavor.
- Use kosher or cooking salt, not table salt, to avoid over-salting.
- Do not rinse pork after curing; only apply enough salt-sugar rub to stick.
- Slow roast at 150°C (300°F) uncovered, basting hourly until tender, then finish with brown sugar crust at 260°C (500°F) for caramelization.
- Ssamjang and gochujang are traditional Korean pastes; substitute with chili sauces if unavailable.
- Serve with lettuce leaves, rice, kimchi, and optional raw oysters for traditional presentation.
- Leftover pork stores well refrigerated for 4–5 days or frozen up to 3 months and can be reheated gently without adding pan juices to avoid excess salt.
- Adjust cooking times based on pork weight; longer curing improves tenderness and flavor.
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition Facts
Serving: 10- 12 people
Amount Per Serving
Calories 626 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Calories | 626cal | 31% |
| Carbohydrates | 18g | 6% |
| Protein | 67g | 134% |
| Fat | 30g | 46% |
| Saturated Fat | 8g | 40% |
| Cholesterol | 210mg | 70% |
| Sodium | 3192mg | 133% |
| Potassium | 1293mg | 28% |
| Fiber | 1g | 4% |
| Sugar | 15g | 30% |
| Vitamin A | 249IU | 5% |
| Vitamin C | 5mg | 6% |
| Calcium | 76mg | 8% |
| Iron | 5mg | 28% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
5
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