Bo Ssam

Bo Ssam.  Had anyone ever heard of Bo Ssam before David Chang?  We did the Bo Ssam at Momofuku  a few years ago on a Sunday evening.  It was a totally omigod evening and we all rolled out of the restaurant.

I bought the Momofuku cookbook when it came out and decided it was time to try something.  My friend Steve made a Bo Ssam earlier in the week so I decided I'd give it a try too.

Couldn't be easier but you have to plan in advance.  The pork went into the fridge the night before with the salt/sugar marinade.  After that, it is all about just sticking it in the oven for many hours.

Ingredients:
 8-10 lb. pork shoulder or butt with the bone-in (although mine didn't have a bone and it didn't seem to be a problem)
1 cup + 1 tbsp. kosher salt
1 cup white sugar
7 tbsp. light brown sugar

Rub down the pork with 1 cup salt and 1 cup sugar and place it in a roasting pan.  Cover with plastic wrap.  Put in the fridge over night.  Easiest to do this with fat side up.

Next day, preheat the oven to 300.  Place the pork in the oven ( no plastic wrap, of course ) and bake for 6 hours.  Every hour or so, baste with the juices that are filling in the roasting pan. 

After about 6 hours, the pork should literally pull apart like butter.  If it isn't pulling apart easily, then let it roast longer in the oven.  Once it is done, take the 7 tbsps brown sugar and 1 tbsp of kosher salt and rub it over the pork. 

Crank up the heat to 450 and let the pork get crispy.  Takes about 10 minutes.  But watch it, the sugar can get burnt.  Make sure after you rub the brown sugar mixture over the pork, use the juices in the pan to baste before you crank up the heat.

Serve with pieces of Bibb lettuce to wrap the pork in.  I also made the Ginger Scallion Sauce for a sauce on the side.

1/2 cup minced fresh ginger
2 bunches of scallions thinly sliced
1/4 cup grapeseed oil
3/4 tsp. sherry vinegar
1 1/2 tsp. soy sauce

Mix together and let sit at least 15 minutes before using.

I'm not into the kimchi and oysters ( soo rich ) so I served spicy brussel sprouts and sweet roasted carrots on the side.  Absolutely killer.  Delicious.