Momofuku brings you all of their fan-favourites in this epic dinner for 6 to recreate at home! Start off with Momofuku’s signature Braised Shiitake Steamed Buns with quick cured cucumbers, hoisin sauce, and scallions as your first course. Next, spice it up with Momofuku’s twist on the classic Red Dragon Rice Cakes. Lastly, finish off with their iconic Bo Ssäm featuring slow-roasted pork shoulder, Boston Bibb Lettuce, and Momofuku’s signature prepared White Kimchi, Ginger Scallion Sauce, and Korean BBQ Sauce. Wow your guests with this ultimate Korean-inspired dining experience from Momofuku, exclusively on Chefdrop.

• 1pc Pork Bo Ssäm
• 1 head Boston Bibb Lettuce
• 25g Cilantro
• 25g Mint
• 1 jar White Kimchi
• 1 jar Ginger Scallion Sauce
• 1 jar Korean BBQ Sauce
• 100g Brown Sugar
• 8pcs Steam Buns
• 280g Braised Shiitake Mushrooms
• 1pc Baby Cucumber
• 80mL Hoisin Sauce
• 2 x 75g Cut Scallion
• 800g Rice Sticks
• 250mL Red Dragon Sauce
• 2oz Caramelized Onion
• 2oz Toasted Sesame Seeds

Allergens: Soy, Onion, Sesame, Dairy, Gluten, Garlic, Alcohol, Pork, Chili

Make sure you’ve got a Casserole or Large High Sided Baking Dish, Aluminum Foil, a Meat Thermometer, Tongs, a Large Sauté Pan, a Palette Knife, an 8 Quart Pot or Stock Pot, a Steam Basket, Parchment Paper, a Resting Tray or Wire Rack, a Rubber Spatula, a Serving Bowl, a Large Microwaveable Plate, and a Large Plate or Serving Platter. It’s also ideal to have a few staples on hand like Salt, Sugar, Cooking Oil, and Water. Now, let’s get cooking!

Note: To achieve the optimal texture and quality of this dish, it is recommended that these Shiitake Mushroom Buns are steamed in a special Bamboo Steamer Basket prior to assembling. If you do not have a steamer at home, these buns can be prepared in the microwave, though it is not guaranteed that the texture of the buns will be consistent those that are steamed.

BO SSÄM PREPARATION

Chef’s Tip: Unwrap the Bo Ssäm and transfer it to a casserole or high sided baking dish. Allow the Bo Ssäm to come to room temperature for 60-90 minutes prior to cooking.

Preheat oven to 325-350°F.

Cover the top of the Pork Bo Ssäm with all of the Brown Sugar. Add 1 cup water to the baking dish and cover completely with aluminum foil.

Place the Bo Ssäm in the centre of the oven and heat for 45 minutes to 1 hour.

Chef’s Tip: If using a meat thermometer, the internal temperature of Bo Ssäm should read between 155°F – 165°F. Timing will differ with the type of oven you’ll be using. If not using a meat thermometer, heat the Bo Ssäm until evenly caramelized on the outside and fork tender throughout.

In the meantime, begin to prepare your mise en place.

Assemble your garnishes for the Pork Bo Ssäm next. Place Mint and Cilantro into serving bowls and the Boston Bibb Lettuce on a serving plate or board. Feel free to transfer White Kimchi, Korean BBQ Sauce, and Ginger Scallion Sauce into bowls or keep in the jar and set aside.

SHIITAKE MUSHROOM BUNS PREPARATION

Bring an 8 quart pot or stock pot of water up to a boil while you prepare your Cucumbers.

Slice the Cucumber into the thickness of a toonie. Mix together ¾ teaspoon of salt and ¾ teaspoon of sugar in a small dish or bowl. In a separate bowl, add your cut Cucumbers and season with the salt and sugar mix; toss lightly. It is normal to see some liquid extracted from these Cucumbers. This liquid can be discarded. Set aside.

Set up your Hoisin Sauce and Scallions so that you are ready to assemble your Buns once they are steamed.

Return to the pot of water which should have reached a boil by now. Turn the heat down to a low simmer and add Shiitake Mushroom package to the pot to reheat for 5 minutes.

Note: The Shiitake Mushrooms have already been cooked; this step is simply to reheat the Mushrooms.

In the meantime, set up your bamboo steamer with a parchment paper liner. Using multiple levels of steamer baskets is fine. To set up, arrange the 8 Buns in your baskets on the parchment paper making sure to leave enough space between each Bun as they will expand once steamed. Stack the two levels of the steamer basket and put the lid on it and set aside.

Once your Shiitake Mushrooms are heated through, carefully remove the bag of Shiitake Mushrooms and set the bag aside in a heat proof bowl. The residual heat from the bag will keep your Shiitake Mushrooms warm while you steam your Buns.

Keep the pot of water on a simmering boil and carefully place the steamer basket into the pot of low boiling water and close the lid to allow the Buns to steam through.

After about 8 minutes of cooking time, turn the heat off to stop the boiling and remove the lid.

Chef’s Tip: When removing the lid from the setup, be careful to lift the lid toward you and allow the steam to escape out the back of the pot. The Buns should be light, fluffy, and slightly sticky to the touch on the outside.

Use the spatula or palette knife to remove these Buns from the basket and arrange them on a cutting board or serving plate to finish.

If using the microwave method for the Shiitake Mushroom Buns, arrange the Steam Buns on a microwavable plate and heat the Buns. Depending on your microwave, it should take between 20 and 40 seconds on high heat. It is best to heat in increments to ensure we are not overheating the Buns. Be sure to leave enough space between each Bun as they will expand when warmed.

Give the Buns a poke with your finger. The Buns should be soft to the touch and have almost no resistance but still spring back; this is how you’ll know they are ready.

Now that the Buns and Shiitake filling are ready, open the Buns from the front crease like a clamshell. Using a small spoon, divide the Hoisin Sauce between each of the 8 Buns (we recommend about 2 teaspoons per Bun). Use the spoon to spread the Hoisin on the inner top and bottom of the Bun.

Divide the Cured Cucumbers onto the bottom half of the Buns. We recommend about 4 slices per Buns. Put the Scallions on the top half.

Fill each Bun with the Braised Shiitake Mushroom filling. Close the Buns by pulling the top half up over the middle.

Enjoy immediately while warm or set aside as you prepare the remaining dishes.

RED DRAGON RICE CAKES PREPARATION

Preheat a large sauté pan over medium heat.

Remove cut Rice Cakes from packaging and set on a plate lined with paper towel to absorb any excess moisture on the Rice Cakes.

Chef’s Tip: Removing any excess moisture from the Rice Cakes will prevent the Cakes from popping and splattering during frying. Gently dab the Rice Cakes with paper towel if necessary. Be careful when frying as some splattering is expected. Do not put a lid on the pan as this will allow condensation to build and cause the Rice Cakes to pop open, resulting in excessive oil splattering.

Once pan is heated, add 2-3 tablespoons of a neutral cooking oil, such as canola or grapeseed oil, to the pan. A generous amount of cooking oil will be needed to shallow fry the Rice Cakes and prevent them from sticking together.

Carefully add the Rice Cakes into the sauté pan. Continuously toss the pan to ensure all the Rice Cakes are evenly coated in oil on all sides. If they stick together slightly, use chopsticks or a metal spoon to separate the Rice Cakes.

Chef’s Tip: Cooking Rice Cakes can prove to be challenging. The secret to successfully cooking Rice Cakes is to generously coat the Rice Cakes in oil in order to prevent sticking. This can also be done in 2-3 batches to prevent sticking and achieve optimal crispiness!

Allow the Rice Cakes to slightly crisp and lightly golden around the edges. You’ll notice that they get softer on the inside as they get crispier on the outside. Once the edges of the Rice Cakes are lightly golden and a thin crispy layer has formed on the outside of the Rice Cakes, transfer them to a paper towel lined plate.

If frying Rice Cakes in multiple batches, continue the same steps above. Be sure to scrape off and remove any residue on the bottom of the pan before adding more oil to the pan in between batches.

Once your Rice Cakes are done frying, wipe down or clean the pan to remove any residue. Add the Caramelized Onions and Red Dragon Sauce to the sauté pan. Once it starts to boil, return the Fried Rice Cakes to the pan and coat them in the Sauce.

Once coated, they are ready to eat. Transfer them to a serving bowl, using a spatula to get all the Sauce out of the pan. Garnish the Cakes with the Scallion and Toasted Sesame Seeds on top.

Enjoy your Red Dragon Rice Cakes while you wait for the Bo Ssäm to finish in the oven!

BO SSÄM FINAL STEPS

Now it is time to check back in on your Bo Ssäm.

After about 45 minutes to 1 hour of total cooking time once the internal temperature of the Bo Ssäm has reached 155°F – 165°F, or until evenly caramelized on the outside and fork tender throughout, remove from the oven and take off the aluminum foil. Set the oven to a low broil setting.

Return Bo Ssäm to the oven and broil for 3-5 minutes. This method of broiling will caramelize the sugars and create a glaze over the Bo Ssäm. Once your Bo Ssäm has an even glaze and is golden brown all over, remove from the oven and allow to rest for 2-3 minutes.

Use tongs to pull apart the Bo Ssäm. To serve, use a leaf of Boston Bibb Lettuce to make a wrap, add pulled Bo Ssäm, and garnish with Herbs, White Kimchi, and Ginger Scallion and Korean BBQ Sauces.

That’s it! Enjoy!