Slow Cooker Bo Saam

I now have my THIRD freezer, a small upright version (15 cubic feet) that fits nicely in the laundry room.  I don't know if it is testimony to my food storage nature, fear of the end of the world or that we have far too many residences.  But this a food blog not a psychiatrist's couch so, while I admit there maybe some lurking unresolved issues in my psyche, I refuse to divulge them here.  The facts were:

• we had brought a bunch of meat down from Lyle 
• I had made freezer strawberry and raspberry jam 
• I had roasted and frozen 2 boxes of red and yellow peppers
• there was a corn glut this summer and I have 20 freezer bags of corn
• Trader Joe's had a sale on quick frozen artichoke hearts and I bought 18 bags
• Scott encountered a mispricing at our ghetto Smith's and came home with 8 beef rib roasts ranging in price from 92cents to $5
• ditto a pork chop sale ( huge 1" thick chops, delicious)

So there are the facts.  We have a freezer and I have filled it.  So now all I have to do is eat it.  From the buy 1 get 1 free pork butt sale in combination with a snowy preseason day purchase of a DI crockpot comes the following.

Momofuku Slow Cooker Bo Ssam
Credit to momofukufor2 for pointing me to this recipe, which I ultimately found on Martha Stewarts web page.  Momofukufor2 are diligently cooking their way through David Chang's Momofuku cookbook and noodle bar menu, a very funny and great photographed food blog.  When I looked at the recipe and saw a low slow cooking time in the oven and a light went off in my brain - SLOW COOKER, combined with a Napa Cabbage Kimchi (can anyone say we get to make pickles) this recipe was right up my alley.  I added 1/2 C beer to the bottom of the slow cooker and put the pork in on high for 2 hours and then on low for 6 hours.
Quick digression on what is Bo Ssam.  The idea is everyone makes their own lettuce wraps with the soft melt in your mouth pork, rice and sauce.  Sauce wise I used the sauce recipes provided by David Chang, a delicious ginger scallion sauce, his Ssam sauce and the Kimchi.  Apparently the Kimchi reaches it's peak deliciousness after about 2 weeks in the refrigerator so I am hoping for another buy 1 get 1 free pork butt sale at Harmon's.
1 bone-in pork should or pork butt (8-10 lbs)
1 C granulated sugar
1 C salt plus 1 T kosher salt
1/2 C beer
7 T brown sugar
1 C Napa Cabbage Kimchi, pureed, for serving
1 C Napa Cabbage Kimchi, for serving
1 C Ginger Scallion Sauce, for serving
1 C Ssam sauce, for serving
2 C steamed rice
3 heads butter lettuce
sea salt
Place pork in a large bowl and rub all over with the granulated sugar and salt, cover and refrigerate for 6 hours or overnight.
The next day rinse the meat and put in slow cooker with 1/2 C beer.  Turn slow cooker on high for 2 hours and then turn down to low for 6 hours or until pork is fork tender, remove and transfer pork to a roasting pan.  
When I took the pork roast out of the slow cooker it was SOOOO tender, the meat totally melted in my mouth and had a slightly sweet/salty taste.
When you are ready to serve - sauces are made, lettuce is washed, rice is cooked etc. turn the oven on to 500 degrees F.
Stir together the remaining tablespoon of salt and the brown sugar and rub the mix all over the pork.  Place in the oven until the sugar has melted into a crisp and sweet crust - about 10 minutes.
Serve the Bo Saam whole and hot, surrounded with the various accompaniments.


Ssam Sauce (Makes 1 C)
1 T Korean soybean chili paste (Ssamjang, available at an Asian Supermarket)
1 1/2 T Korean chili-pepper paste (available at an Asian Supermarket)
1/4 C grapeseed oil
1/4 C sherry wine vinegar
Mix all ingredients together in a medium bowl.  Sauce may be kept refrigerated for 2 weeks.


Ginger Scallion Sauce(Makes about 3 C)
2 1/2 C thinly sliced scallions (1-2 bunches)
1/2 C finely minced, peeled ginger
1/4 C grapeseed oil
1 1/2 t soy sauce
3/4 t sherry wine vinegar
3/4 t coarse salt
Mix all ingredients together in a medium bowl and let stand at room temperature for 15-20 minutes.  Sauce can be kept covered in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.


Note:  I sometimes serve this with Quick Pickled Cukes and a quick pickled combination of julienned carrots and radishes