Spicy Christmas pork shoulder

Taking inspiration from the Korean slow-roast pork called bo ssam, this alternative to the traditional Christmas turkey and ham is full of punchy flavour.

Spicy Christmas pork shoulder. Credit: Donal's Family Food in Minutes

• serves

  8

• prep

  10 minutes

• cook

  4 hours

• difficulty

  Easy

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Ingredients

Pork

• 100 g sugar
• 100 g sea salt
• 100 g gochujang
• 4 kg pork shoulder, bone in

Ginger & spring onion sauce

• 4 spring onions, sliced
• 3 cm piece ginger, peeled and finely grated
• 3 tsp (15 ml) sesame oil
• 1½ tbsp (30 ml) rice vinegar
• ¼ cup (60 ml) soy sauce
• Sea salt

For the cucumber and cabbage salad

• 3 tsp sugar
• 1½ tbsp (30 ml) rice vinegar
• 2 tsp (10 ml) sesame oil
• 3 tsp (15 ml) soy sauce
• 2 tsp gochujang
• 3 tsp sesame seeds, toasted
• 1 cucumber
• 1 wombok, roughly shredded
• 2 spring onions, thinly sliced

To serve

• Sticky rice
• 2 heads baby gem lettuce, leaves separated
• Kimchi

Marinating time: at least 6 hours

Instructions

1. Mix together the sugar, salt and gochujang in a small mixing bowl to create a paste.
2. Place the pork shoulder in a large casserole dish and using your hands massage the paste all over the meat until completely coated. Cover with tin foil and refrigerate for at least 6 hours or overnight.
3. Preheat oven to 140˚C. Place dish with pork in the oven and cook for at least 4 hours or until the meat is fork tender, basting regularly with the rendered fat and juices. It should easily shred when the meat is ready.
4. While the pork cooks, prepare the spring onion sauce by mixing together the ingredients in a small bowl.
5. For the salad, whisk the sugar, vinegar, sesame oil, soy, gochujang and sesame seeds together in a large bowl until the sugar has dissolved.
6. Thinly slice the cucumber and add to the large bowl along with the cabbage and spring onions. Toss to coat the cabbage and cucumber in the dressing.
7. Shred the meat from the bone, toss in the spring onion sauce (or serve it alongside the meat) and serve with the rice, baby gem, kimchi and cucumber-cabbage salad.

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.

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