Momofuku Pork Belly Recipes

MOMOFUKU'S BO SSAM

Steps:

• Place the pork in a large, shallow bowl. Mix the white sugar and 1 cup of the salt together in another bowl, then rub the mixture all over the meat. Cover it with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for at least 6 hours, or overnight.
• When you're ready to cook, heat oven to 300. Remove pork from refrigerator, brush any excess sugar mixture off the fat cap and discard any juices. Place the pork in a roasting pan and set in the oven and cook for approximately 6 hours, or until it collapses, yielding easily to the tines of a fork. (After the first hour, baste hourly with pan juices.) At this point, you may remove the meat from the oven and allow it to rest for up to an hour.
• Meanwhile, make the ginger-scallion sauce. In a large bowl, combine the scallions with the rest of the ingredients. Mix well and taste, adding salt if needed.
• Make the ssam sauce. In a medium bowl, combine the chili pastes with the vinegar and oil, and mix well.
• Prepare rice, wash lettuce and, if using, shuck the oysters. Put kimchi and sauces into serving bowls.
• When your accompaniments are prepared and you are ready to serve the food, turn oven to 500. In a small bowl, stir together the remaining tablespoon of salt with the brown sugar. Rub this mixture all over the cooked pork. Place in oven for approximately 10 to 15 minutes, or until a dark caramel crust has developed on the meat. Serve hot, with the accompaniments.

MOMOFUKU PORK BELLY

Steps:

• 1. Nestle the belly in a roasting pan or other oven-safe vessel that holds it snugly. Mix together the salt and sugar in a small bowl and rub the mix all over the meat; discard any excess salt-and-sugar mixture. Cover the container with plastic wrap and keep in fridge for at least 6 hours but no longer than 24 hours. 2. Heat the oven to 450F. Discard any liquid that accumulated in the container. Put the belly in the oven, fat side up, and cook for 1 hour, basting it with the rendered fat at the halfway point, until it's an appetizing golden brown. 3. Turn the oven temperature down to 250F and cook for another 1 hour to 1 hour 15 minutes, until the belly is tender - it shouldn't be falling apart, but it should have a a down pillow-like yield to firm finger poke. Remove the the pan from the oven and transfer the belly to a plate. Decant the fat and the meat juices from the pan and reserve for other uses. (for example saute vegetables). Allow the belly to cool slightly. 4. When it is cool enough to handle, wrap the belly in plastic wrap or aluminum foil and put in fridge until it's thoroughly chilled and firm. (You can skip this step if you are pressed for time, but the only way to get neat, nice-looking slices is to chill the belly thoroughly before slicing it.) 5. Cut the pork belly into 1/2-inch thick slices that are about 2 inches long. Warm them for serving in a pan over medium heat, just for a minute or two, until jiggly soft and heated through. Use at once.