Momofuku’s Bo Ssäm - Recipe

Pork shoulder is one of those sleeper cuts of meat that is relatively inexpensive (current inflation rates are skewing that at present but hopefully the end is in sight) but huge on delivery. My favorite way to eat it is slow roasted one of two ways: Bäco-style (sadly the L.A. restaurant is closed by the cookbook keeps on giving) which is a baharat spiced super-low-and-slow roast that I use to stuff flatbread with or slice thickly and enjoy alongside a salad, or Bo Ssäm style which is simply seasoned with salt and sugar and roasted at a bit higher temperature so you get some crispy bits to enjoy.

My go-to bo ssäm recipe is Momofuku’s. It takes a teeny bit of foresight (you need to marinate the pork for at least six hours but idealy overnight) but it’s a relatively hands off ordeal. Bo ssäm is a Korean dish that literally translates to “wrapped” or “packaged” and while there are no rules, less is best in my opinion. I stick to ssäm sauce, kimchi (or in this particular case, the Smoke and Kale sauerkraut from OlyKraut in Olympia), ginger scallion sauce, and steamed rice, all wrapped up in Bibb or red leaf lettuce.

You can (and I have) make this for just you and your workaholic farmer of a sister and put a serious dent in it, but why not call your friends and neighbors over and make it a real party?

*Notes:

My version of David Chang’s ssäm sauce differs slightly from the Momofuku cookbook. I made it twice his way it it didn’t look or taste right. Sorry, David. My version is better.

While you may find gochujang these days at your local market, ssämjang is a bit harder to find, so plan ahead to stop by the closest Asian market you can find, or order it online. The two jangs are not the same and you need both to make it a true ssäm sauce.

Bo Ssäm

Adapted from the Momofuku cookbook

Serves 6 to 8

Ingredients

Pork Butt

1 whole 8- to 10-pound bone-in Boston pork butt (if you can only find boneless, I won’t fault you)

1 cup granulated sugar

1 cup plus 1 tablespoon kosher salt

7 tablespoons light brown sugar

Ssäm Sauce

3 tablespoons ssämjang (fermented bean and chile paste)

1 tablespoon gochujang (chile paste)

1/4 cup sherry vinegar

1/4 cup grapeseed or other neutral oil

Directions

The Pork

1. Put the pork shoulder in a roasting pan, ideally one that’s not much larger than your cut of meat. Mix the granulated sugar and 1 cup of salt, then rub the mixture into the meat. Toss out any excess mixture. Cover the pan with plastic wrap and let it rest in the fridge for at least six hours but preferably overnight.

2. Heat the oven to 300°F. Take the pork out of the fridge and discard any juices from the pan. Place the pan in the oven and cook for six hours, basting with any rendered fat and pan juices every hour. The pork should be tender and yielding at this point and should offer almost no resistance to the blade of a knife. you should be able to pull meet off the shoulder with a fork. If you can’t, continue to cook until you can. You can serve the pork at this point or let it rest at room temperature for up to an hour.

3. When you’re ready to serve the pork, turn the oven up to 500°F.

4. Stir the remaining 1 tablespoon of salt and the brown sugar and rub that all over the pork. Put it in the oven for 10 to 15 minutes until the sugar has melted into a crisp crust.

5. Serve the bo ssäm whole and hot, surrounded by your accompaniments.

The Ssäm Sauce

Combine all the ingredients and stir until evenly mixed. Ssäm sauce will keep in the fridge for weeks.