It’s been almost two years since the first time I took part in the ethereal “Bo Ssam” experience. I was lucky enough to be invited to a table at Momofuku Ssam Bar one May evening, being told nothing else but “We are doing Bo Ssam.” I did my research, and learned that Bo Ssam is in fact an EXPERIENCE, not only a dinner. We started with some amazing appetizers, the pork belly buns being amongst the  most memorable. Oysters were brought out to the table,  in addition to plates of butter lettuce leaves, kimchi, a few different sauces, lots of white rice, and of course – the perfectly caramelized, falling off the bone, mouthwatering roasted pork shoulder. And tongs. We made little lettuce wraps, rice bowls, you name it. We ate for what should have been hours, but felt like minutes. David Chang is an absolute genius – he somehow elevates pulled pork to a whole new level!
We enjoyed every aspect of the dinner that evening, including some of the amazing wines that we paired with the meal… Magnum of Chartogne Taillet Champagne, Magnum of 2006 Donnhoff Niederhauser Hermannshohle Riesling (Wow!), Â 2006 Jasmin Cote Rotie, and the showstopping 1976 Cune Imperial Gran Reserva.
Well, that dinner set the stage for several future experiments in my own kitchen. While extremely time consuming, (warning – do not attempt to make these recipes on a weeknight unless you have the day off!) the results are well worth the effort. I’ve used the meat from the bo ssam for the filling in the pork buns, but nothing is more decadent and satisfying as the pork belly. David Chang’s Bo Ssam recipe is almost fool proof – roasting the bone in pork shoulder low and slow for several hours and then encasing the super tender meat with a crunchy caramel-ly brown sugar crust at the end. These flavors even inspired me to make several attempts at homemade ramen. I’ve experimented with a few recipes, but really appreciated the depth of flavors of the one that I post below.
The richness of these dishes call for something that screams acidity and offers some reprieve to the heat that the accompaniments like the kimchi and sauces bring to the table. I found the wines from Albert Boxler to be ideal for these pairings. Everything from the Sylvaner to the Pinot Blanc… the Riesling to the Grand Cru cuvee have paired sublimely with the recipes below! Forget “Pigs and Pinot”… it’s time for Bo Ssam and Boxler!
David Chang’s Bo Ssam Recipe – I followed it to a tee. Give yourself a day to make this and enjoy leftovers for a week!
Momofuku’s Pork Belly Buns Recipe – I have also used leftover pork shoulder from my Bo Ssam to fill leftover buns – really great alternative but the pork belly is super decadent!
Ramen with Pork and Chili Eggplant Mazeman – I don’t agree with the amount of oil used in this. It’s already so rich with the pork belly and I actually only used a third of the amount of oil in each step that calls for it – My first attempt was tasty but very oily. I thought cutting back the oil made a huge difference.