Pork Chops with Boston Lettuce

By David Chang, Author, Momofuku

Serves 4

4 pork chops, boned out
8 pieces of garlic, peeled
1 2-inch piece of ginger, peeled and freshly grated
3 whole white Spanish onions
2 cups soy sauce
½ cup white sugar
1 2-inch piece of ginger, peeled and freshly grated
1 cup of fresh apple juice or pear juice
1/8 cup of sesame oil
1 lemon
¼ cup of Korean mildly spicy Soy Bean Paste – “ssamjjang”
2 heads of cored and cleaned Bibb lettuce, try to keep leaves whole – the larger the better.
cooked Asian short-grain rice

Kimchi & Scallion Salad (Do this ahead of time)
2 bunches of greens scallions, stems removed and finely chopped
3 red chili peppers, seeded and thinly sliced
4 tablespoons of rice wine vinegar
½ cup of drained chopped kimchi
1 tablespoon of sesame oil
2 tablespoons of soy sauce
Canola oil for cooking Roasted Pine Nuts

Clean Bibb lettuce in a bowl of ice water. Dry and set aside.

Marinade:  Combine sugar, soy sauce, sesame oil, garlic, sliced onions, juice of lemon and apple or pear. Add salt and cracked black pepper. Taste for seasoning. Add pork and marinate for 4-6 hours.

Kimchi & Scallion Salad (Do this ahead of time)
 Add scallions and drained kimchi, red chili peppers and pine nuts. In a separate bowl, add sesame oil, soy sauce and rice wine vinegar. Mix well and marinate.

Heat pan and cook pork for 4-5 minutes per side. Let meat rest for 2-3 minutes. At the same time, sauté marinated onions till tender. Slice meat and serve over a bed of cooked onions.

 Chef Quote: Serve dish with soy bean paste, lettuce and meat – make a “ssam” out of the lettuce – essentially, add a little rice, scallion salad, some soy bean paste and meat.