Go Back
+ servings
Print Recipe
No ratings yet

Bo Ssam

Prep Time30 minutes
Cook Time6 hours 10 minutes
Marinating Time6 hours
Total Time12 hours 40 minutes
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: Korean
Servings: 8 + servings
Author: Gaby Dalkin

Ingredients

For the Pork

  • 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

For the Ginger Scallion Sauce

  • 2 ½ cups thinly sliced scallions both green and white parts
  • ½ cup peeled minced fresh ginger
  • ¼ cup grapeseed oil
  • 1 ½ teaspoons soy sauce
  • 1 scant teaspoon sherry vinegar
  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt or to taste

For the 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 grapeseed oil

For the Korean BBQ Sauce

  • ¼ cup kochujang Korean Chile Paste
  • 5 garlic cloves minced
  • 2 tablespoons peeled and minced ginger
  • 2 green onions thinly sliced
  • 2 ½ tablespoons soy sauce
  • 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon light brown sugar
  • 1 tablespoon honey
  • 2 teaspoons sesame oil

To Serve

  • Butter Lettuce Cups
  • Store bought Kimchi
  • 1 recipe Gaby's Guacamole
  • 1 recipe Gaby's Pico de Gallo
  • Cooked White Rice

Instructions

For the Pork

  • 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 degrees F. 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.
  • When 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 sauces and dips and guacamole. Create lettuce wraps with pieces of the pork and whatever desired toppings you want. Serve alongside white rice, kimchi and the duo of salads.

For 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.

For the Ssam Sauce

  • In a medium bowl, combine the chili pastes with the vinegar and oil, and mix well.

For the Korean BBQ Sauce

  • Combine all ingredients in a bowl and whisk to combine.