When entertainment season and big family gatherings call for crowd-friendly meals that wow, look no further than this show-stopper of a slow-roasted pork shoulder from the NYT (and chef David Chang…also credit to my brother- and sister-in-law who first showed me the way). Serve up in lettuce cups with rice and top with a variety of condiments — including a ginger scallion sauce that, as my mother would say, would make “shoe leather taste good.”
The prep and cooking for the pork couldn’t be easier — just give yourself a day for the shoulder to season with nothing more than sugar and salt. Roast slowly under low heat until the meat falls off the bone. Then give it a final sprinkle of salt and brown sugar and 10 minute blast in the oven to render skin crispy and irresistible. 6 to 10 servings
Serve with lettuce cups, rice and condiments — to much fanfare and appreciation. You’re welcome.
ingredients
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
- 2½ cups thinly sliced scallions, both green and white parts
- ½ cup peeled, minced fresh ginger
- ¼ cup neutral oil (like grapeseed)
- 1½ teaspoons light soy sauce
- 1 scant teaspoon sherry vinegar
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt, or to taste
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)
- ½ cup sherry vinegar
- ½ cup neutral oil (like grapeseed)
Accompaniments
- 2 cups plain white rice, cooked
- 3 heads bibb lettuce, leaves separated, washed and dried
- Ssam + ginger scallion sauces
- Kimchi* (available in many Asian markets, and online)
directions
- 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.
- When you’re ready to cook, heat oven to 300. Remove pork from refrigerator, brush any excess sugar mixture off the fat cap 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.
- 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.
- Make the ssam sauce. In a medium bowl, combine the chili pastes with the vinegar and oil, and mix well.
- Prepare rice, wash lettuce and, if using, shuck the oysters. Put kimchi and sauces into serving bowls.
- 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.
* You can find specialty ingredients at Asian markets, like EM Korean market on La Salle in Montclair; also at Berkeley Bowl and other East Bay grocery stores.
NOTE: Bo ssam pairs well with Bake Sale Betty’s coleslaw — which I marry with Asian flavors by swapping out the olive oil for sesame oil and adding a splash of soy sauce.