I don’t know if I believe in love at first sight, but the first time I saw the bo ssam, I fell in love. Salt-and-sugar cured pork butt roasted until unbearably tender, covered with a layer of salty, crackling skin? Smother it in spicy, vibrant sauces and let the juices run down your chin? Oh, baby. I still remember the first time I broke off a piece of crisp pork skin, a few meaty morsels clinging on. It was like in movies, when a dying character’s life flashes before his eyes, but all I saw were the good things. Bo ssam delivers me to the very steps of food nirvana. And I still haven’t even had it from the restaurant.

Yes, dear reader, porcine perfection is that close and that attainable in your very kitchen. For such an earth-shatteringly delicious meal, bo ssam requires very little in the way of ingredient or skill. All that’s really needed is patience. The lower you set the oven, the longer the meat cooks and the more succulent it becomes. And because pork shoulder is such an inexpensive cut of meat, it is a fantastic way to feed a party. Though, if you’re like me, you may need a moment of privacy with the bo ssam.

And as for the sauces, even though the meat is juicy and flavorful enough on its own, for me they are an indispensable part of the bo ssam experience. While David Chang provides some great recipes for sauces that he includes at the restaurant, I see this as a great opportunity to experiment. The ginger-scallion sauce was one of Chang’s, but the jalapeno garlic sauce was one I pretty much made up on the fly. A sweet and spicy salsa would also be a great addition, as well as even a homemade hot pepper sauce.

Next time you see a pork shoulder in your butcher’s display case, or the next time you’re throwing a casual party, treat yourself to an incredibly satisfying and deceptively easy homemade bo ssam. 

P.S. If you could invite me, that would be awesome.

Max