It’s the season for super subs
Make some great sandwiches for game day
Bo Ssamwich 24 servings
This mammoth meal for a Super Bowl crowd captures the communal spirit and bold flavors of bossam, the popular Korean dish in which slices of pork are wrapped in lettuce and eaten with accompaniments such as kimchi, marinated oysters and steamed rice.
The recipe was inspired by chef David Chang’s version of bo ssam, served at his restaurants, including Momofuku CCDC in Washington.
Fried oysters are optional, but the chef judges found that the bivalves added a nice, briny, umami-powered component to the sandwich. Coating them with “00” flour instead of all-purpose flour makes them extra crispy.
You’ll need an instant-read thermometer for monitoring the pork and the frying oil for the oysters. Long toothpicks are helpful for assembly and serving. It’s also helpful to have an easily transportable wooden plank — 31/2 to 4 feet long and 8 to 10 inches wide — to build the sandwich on.
MAKE AHEAD: The pickled carrots need to cure for at least 1 hour. The pork needs to be dry-brined in the refrigerator overnight and cooks for 8 hours in the oven; it can be roasted a day or two in advance and reheated. For a Super Bowl party, start roasting the pork no later than 9 a.m. on game day if you plan to serve it by kickoff time. The ginger-scallion sauce, Kewpiejang and pickled carrots can be made and refrigerated up to 2 days in advance. Leftover sandwich slices can be individually wrapped in plastic wrap and refrigerated for up to 2 days.
The 3-foot-long party-sub bread can be purchased. Three standard-size loaves of good Italian bread, cut open lengthwise, may be substituted for the Kewpie mayonnaise (slightly sweeter than regular mayonnaise) is available at Asian markets. The Korean chili paste gochujang is sold at Whole Foods Markets.
Ingredients
For the pickled carrots
1 quart distilled white vinegar 1 cup sugar 3 pounds carrots, well scrubbed, then shredded or cut into very thin matchsticks (julienne; may substitute 6 cups shredded carrots)
For the ginger-scallion sauce
1 1/2 cups minced ginger (from 15 ounces fresh ginger root, peeled) 6 bunches scallions (white and light-green parts), cut into thin slices (about 71/2 cups total) 3/4 cup grapeseed oil 6 teaspoons low-sodium soy sauce 3 teaspoons sherry vinegar 3 teaspoons kosher salt
For the Kewpiejang
1/2 cup Kewpie mayonnaise (see headnote) 1/2 cup gochujang (Korean chili paste; see headnote)
For the roast pork
10 tablespoons kosher salt 10 tablespoons sugar 8-to-10-pound bone-in pork shoulder
For the optional oysters
6 to 8 cups grapeseed oil, for frying 1 1/2 cups “00” flour (see headnote) 30 to 40 freshly shucked oysters (from 2 pints) Fresh lemon juice (from 2 lemons) Sea salt
For assembly
One 3-foot-long party sub bread Leaves from 1 head bibb lettuce, rinsed and
patted dry One 29-ounce jar kimchi, drained (about 4 cups)
Steps
For the pickled carrots: Combine the vinegar and sugar in a mixing bowl, stirring until the sugar has dissolved. Add the carrots and toss to coat thoroughly. Let sit for at least 1 hour, or cover and refrigerate until ready to use (up to 2 days).
For the ginger-scallion sauce: Stir together the ginger, scallions, oil, soy sauce, vinegar and salt in a mixing bowl until well incorporated. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use (up to 2 days).
For the Kewipiejang: Whisk together the Kewpie mayonnaise and gochujang in a medium bowl until well blended. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use (up to 2 days).
For the roast pork: Stir together the salt and sugar in a small bowl; rub the mixture all over the pork shoulder. Place the meat on a large plate; cover and refrigerate overnight.
Preheat the oven to 250 degrees. Transfer the pork to a roasting pan or Dutch oven; roast uncovered for about 8 hours, basting it with some of the pan juices once every hour. You might want to reserve 1 cup of the juices early on for later basting, when there’ll be less liquid in the pan. The pork is done when it has a crisped, brown crust and its internal temperature registers 145 to 160 degrees on an instant-read thermometer (inserted away from the bone).
Transfer the roast pork to a cutting board. Once it has cooled a bit, use two forks to shred the meat. Discard the bone.
For the optional oysters: Heat the oil in a deep pot over medium-high heat to 375 degrees. Place a wire rack over a baking sheet. Place the flour in a wide bowl.
Working in batches, toss the oysters in the flour to coat completely, then shake them to discard any excess flour. Fry them for about 11/2 minutes or just until crisp and golden brown, turning them as needed. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the oysters to the wire rack to drain. Immediately sprinkle with a light application of lemon juice and salt. Discard any remaining flour.
When ready to assemble, place the bread on something you'll be able to use to move the finished sub, such as a plank (see headnote) or the box the bread came in. Cut the bread lengthwise, making sure to leave it connected on the opposite long side to preserve a hinge on the loaf. Carefully open the bread; it might help to keep it propped open with long toothpicks. Use your hands to tear out some of the the bread's soft interior; that will help make room for the layers of sandwich ingredients.
Slather the bottom half of the bread with all the ginger-scallion sauce and the top half with all the Kewpiejang. Arrange the bibb lettuce leaves along the bottom half of the bread, overlapping them as needed. Spoon the drained kimchi evenly over the lettuce. Next, build a thick layer using the shredded roast pork. (You might have some shredded pork left over; it can be refrigerated for up to 3 days or frozen for up to 3 months.) Scatter the pickled carrots evenly over the pork. Remove any toothpicks. Just before serving, top with the fried oysters, placing them all the way along the sandwich. Close the sandwich tightly and cut into 11/2-inch slices; hold them in place with long toothpicks, if you like.
Nutrition: Ingredients are too variable for a meaningful analysis.