Momofuku Bossam (Korean Slow Cooked Pork Shoulder Roast)

Step 1

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).

Step 2

Place in a glass dish (Note 13), cover loosely with cling wrap and refrigerated 24 - 36 hours (Note 11).

Step 3

Preheat oven to 150°C/300°F (all oven types) with rack in the middle of oven.

Step 4

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.

Step 5

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).

Step 6

Remove from oven, rest for 10 minutes (up to 1 hour is fine, loosely cover in foil).

Step 7

Turn oven up to 260°C/500°F (all oven types).

Step 8

Mix brown sugar and salt.

Step 9

Spoon juices all over pork.

Step 10

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).

Step 11

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).

Step 12

Remove from oven and transfer to serving platter for serving. (Don't use pan juices, it will be salty from brine)

Step 13

Ginger Shallot Sauce: Mix ingredients in bowl and stand for 20 minutes to let it soften.

Step 14

Ssam Sauce: Mix ingredients together. Oil will naturally separate over time if sauce is left to stand, just mix again to reincorporate.

Step 15

Place pork on serving platter with lettuce, oysters, kimchi, rice, Ginger Shallot Sauce and Ssam Sauce on the side.

Step 16

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.

Step 17

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.

Step 18

Bundle up, bite and enjoy!