The Full Bo Ssäm Recipe

Bo Ssäm

• 1 whole 8- to 10-pound bone-in Boston pork butt
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 cup plus 1 tablespoon kosher salt
• 7 tablespoons light brown sugar

Accompaniments

• 1 dozen oysters, shucked
• 2 cups Short-Grain Rice
• 3 to 4 heads Bibb lettuce, leaves separated, well washed, and spun dry
• Maldon sea salt
• Ginger Scallion Sauce
• Ssäm Sauce
• Quick Pickles or Kimchi

Ginger Scallion Sauce

• 2 ½ cups thinly sliced scallions (greens and whites, from 1 to 2 large bunches)
• ½ cup finely minced peeled fresh ginger
• ¼ cup grapeseed or other neutral oil
• 1 ½ teaspoons usukuchi (light soy sauce)
• ¾ teaspoon sherry vinegar
• 2/4 teaspoon kosher salt, or more to taste

Quick Pickles

• 2 meaty kirby cucumbers, cut into ⅛-inch-thick disks
• 1 tablespoon sugar, or more to taste
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt, or more to taste

Put the pork shoulder in a roasting pan, ideally one that holds it snugly. Mix together the granulated sugar and 1 cup of salt in a bowl , then rub the mixture into the meat; discard any excess salt-and-sugar mixture. Cover the pan with plastic wrap and put it into the fridge for at least 6 hours, or overnight.

Heat the oven to 300ºF. Remove the pork from the refrigerator and discard any juices that have accumulated. Put the pork in the oven and cook for 6 hours, basting with the rendered fat and pan juices every hour. The pork should be tender and yielding at this point—it should offer almost no resistance to the blade of a knife and you should be able to easily pull the meat of the shoulder with a fork. Depending on your schedule, you can serve the pork right away or let it rest and mellow out at room temperature for up to an hour.

When ready to serve—sauces are made, oysters are ready to be shucked, lettuce is washed, etc.—turn the oven to 500ºF.

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

Serve the bo ssäm whole and hot, surrounded with the accompaniments.

Ginger Scallion Sauce

Mix together the scallions, ginger, oil, soy, vinegar, and salt in a bowl. Taste and check for salt, adding more if needed.

Quick Pickles

Combine the cucumbers with the sugar and salt in a small mixing bowl and toss to coast with the sugar and salt. Let sit for 5 to 10 minutes.

Taste: if the pickles are too sweet or too salty, put them in a colander, rinse off the seasoning, and dry in a kitchen towel.k Taste again and add more sugar or salt as needed. Serve after 5 to 10 minutes, or refrigerate up to 4 hours.