Here is the Bo Ssam recipe I posted on facebook a few months back. I didn't think it needed the extra step with the brown sugar. It was succulent and scrumptious. You could use this pork for quesadillas, tacos, nachos or just about anything. I sautéed an onion in olive oil, sesame oil and soy with salt and pepper. I served it with the pork over brown rice with lettuce leaves and the ginger-scallion sauce below. I hope you all enjoy it as much as we all did.
Momofuku Bo Ssam
By SAM SIFTON
Serves 6 to 10
Pork Butt
1 whole bone-in pork butt or picnic ham (8 to 10 pounds)
1 cup white sugar
1 cup plus 1 tablespoon kosher salt
7 tablespoons brown sugar
Ginger-Scallion Sauce
2 1/2 cups thinly sliced scallions, both green and white parts
1/2 cup peeled, minced fresh ginger (I grated on a microplane)
1/4 cup neutral oil (like grapeseed)
1 1/2 teaspoons light soy sauce
1 scant teaspoon sherry vinegar
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, or to taste
Just an idea by Lulu: Add a little honey and some sriracha depending on your taste buds. The next time I make it I am going to add lime zest and juice.
Ssam Sauce
2 tablespoons fermented bean-and- chili paste (ssamjang, available in many Asian markets, and online)
1 tablespoon chili paste (kochujang, available in many Asian markets, and online)
1/2 cup sherry vinegar
1/2 cup neutral oil (like grapeseed)
Accompaniments
:
2 cups plain white rice, cooked
3 heads bibb lettuce, leaves separated, washed and dried
1 dozen or more fresh oysters (optional)
Kimchi (available in many Asian markets, and online).
1. Place the pork in a large, shallow bowl. Mix the white sugar and 1 cup of the salt together in another bowl, then rub the mixture all over the meat. Cover it with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for at least 6 hours, or overnight.
2. When you’re ready to cook, heat oven to 300. Remove pork from refrigerator and discard any juices. Place the pork in a roasting pan and set in the oven and cook for approximately 6 hours, or until it collapses, yielding easily to the tines of a fork. (After the first hour, baste hourly with pan juices.) At this point, you may remove the meat from the oven and allow it to rest for up to an hour.
3. Meanwhile, make the ginger-scallion sauce. In a large bowl, combine the scallions with the rest of the ingredients. Mix well and taste, adding salt if needed.
4. Make the ssam sauce. In a medium bowl, combine the chili pastes with the vinegar and oil, and mix well.
5. Prepare rice, wash lettuce and, if using, shuck the oysters. Put kimchi and sauces into serving bowls.
6. When your accompaniments are prepared and you are ready to serve the food, turn oven to 500. In a small bowl, stir together the remaining tablespoon of salt with the brown sugar. Rub this mixture all over the cooked pork. Place in oven for approximately 10 to 15 minutes, or until a dark caramel crust has developed on the meat. Serve hot, with the accompaniments.
Adapted from “Momofuku,” by David Chang and Peter Meehan.
I froze the left over pork in ziploc bags. The following week I was having a dinner party so I defrosted the leftover Bo Ssam and used it to make quesadillas and nachos. They were a big hit.
For the nachos I used avocado, red onions, cilantro, shredded cheddar cheese and Greek yogurt in place of sour cream. And baked in the oven on at 400 degrees for 10 minutes.
