It’s the “best of” time of year! This is the best recipe I made in 2022 and can’t believe I waited so long to try it. Probably due to it not being the type of thing you make for a solo or dinner for two and entertaining has been minimal the last few years. But some friends were staying with us earlier in the year so it was the perfect time to give it a whirl and it’s a keeper. I was fortunate to celebrate my 50th this Fall and a lovely friend made delicious Bo Ssam for our camping trip so I’m declaring it the year of Bo Ssam! The process may look overwhelming at first but I promise, it’s easy. Just go step by step, moment by moment….kinda like life sometimes. Paired with a playlist of the best songs of 2022.

Momofuku’s Bo Ssam
Recipe from David Chang and Peter Meehan
Adapted by Sam Sifton from New York Times Cooking

Yield: 6 to 10 servings

• Pork Butt
  • 1 whole bone-in pork butt (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
  • ½ cup peeled, minced fresh ginger
  • ¼ cup grapeseed or other neutral oil
  • 1½ teaspoons light soy sauce (or tamari)
  • 1 teaspoon sherry vinegar
  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• Ssam Sauce
  • 2 tablespoons ssamjang
  • 1 tablespoon kochujang
  • ½ cup sherry vinegar
  • ½ cup grapeseed or other neutral oil
• Accompaniments
  • 2 cups plain white rice, cooked
  • 3 heads bibb lettuce
  • Kimchi

• 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
• After the first hour, baste every hour  with pan juices
• Pork will be done when it falls apart easily when touching with a fork. At this point, you may remove the meat from the oven and allow it to rest for up to an hour.
• For the ginger-scallion sauce….. combine the scallions with the rest of the ingredients in a large bowl and mix well
• For the ssam sauce….combine the chili pastes with the vinegar and oil in a medium bowl, and mix well
• Prepare rice, wash lettuce and put  kimchi and sauces into serving bowls
• When your sauces and accompaniments are ready,  turn oven to 500
• In a small bowl, stir together the remaining tablespoon of salt with the brown sugar and rub all over the cooked pork
• Place in the oven for approximately 10 to 15 minutes, or until a dark caramel crust has developed on the meat and then serve it up!