Momofuku’s Bo Ssam

Recipe from David Chang and Peter Meehan

Adapted by Sam Sifton

Updated June 23, 2026

  • Christopher Testani for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.
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Total Time
7 hours, plus 6 hours’ seasoning
Rating
5(10,547)
Comments
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This is a recipe to win the dinner party sweepstakes, and at very low stakes: slow-roasted pork shoulder served with lettuce, rice and a raft of condiments. The chef David Chang serves the dish, known by its Korean name, bo ssam, at his Momofuku restaurant in the East Village and elsewhere. He shared the recipe with The Times in 2012. Mr. Chang is known as a kitchen innovator, but his bo ssam is a remarkably straightforward way to achieve high-level excellence with little more than ingredients and time. Simply cure the pork overnight beneath a shower of salt and some sugar, then roast it in a low oven until it collapses. Apply some brown sugar and a little more salt, then roast the skin a while longer until it takes on the quality of glistening bark. Meanwhile, make condiments – hot sauces and kimchi, rice, some oysters if you wish. Then tear meat off the bone and wrap it in lettuce, and keep at that until everything’s gone. —Sam Sifton

Featured in: The Bo Ssam Miracle

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Ingredients

Yield:6 to 10 servings

PORK BUTT

  • 1 whole bone-in pork butt or picnic ham (8 to 10 pounds)

  • 1 cup white sugar

  • 1 cup plus 1 tablespoon kosher salt

  • 7 tablespoons brown sugar

GINGER-SCALLION SAUCE

  • 2 ½ cups thinly sliced scallions, both green and white parts

  • ½ cup peeled, minced fresh ginger

  • ¼ cup neutral oil (like grapeseed)

  • 1 ½ teaspoons light soy sauce

  • 1 scant teaspoon sherry vinegar

  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt, or to taste

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 neutral oil (like grapeseed)

ACCOMPANIMENTS

  • 2 cups plain white rice, cooked

  • 3 heads bibb lettuce, leaves separated, washed and dried

  • 1 dozen or more fresh oysters (optional)

  • Kimchi (available in many Asian markets, and online)

Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (6 to 10 servings)

54 grams carbs; 354 milligrams cholesterol; 1404 calories; 40 grams monosaturated fat; 15 grams polyunsaturated fat; 24 grams saturated fat; 86 grams fat; 1 gram trans fat; 2 grams fiber; 1933 milligrams sodium; 99 grams protein; 34 grams sugar

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    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.

  2. Step 2

    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, 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.

  3. Step 3

    Meanwhile, make 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.

  4. Step 4

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

  5. Step 5

    Prepare rice, wash lettuce and, if using, shuck the oysters. Put kimchi and sauces into serving bowls.

  6. Step 6

    When your accompaniments are prepared and 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 accompaniments.

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Ratings

5 out of 5
10,547 user ratings
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Comments

Ben Cripps

I have made this numerous times. Everyone loves it.

I found that the salt/sugar mixture at the final stage, tended to fall off of the roast. Basically I would have small patches of sugar with the rest ending up on the bottom of the roasting pan.

I experimented a bit and now I add a small amount of cider vinegar to the salt/sugar combo. It forms a nice paste that stays in place and forms a nice lacquer. I also used water and various liquors but landed on the vinegar as the best.

RK

The one cup of white sugar and one cup of kosher salt that you cure the meat with for 6 hours, do you leave it on the meat or wipe it off before baking at 300 degrees?

Randall

I prepared thanksgiving for the Girlfriends family. All twenty-three of them. Yes there was turkey and the green bean casserole, I couldn't help but throw this in the mix along with crab Rangoon. They like me now.

Rachel

Made this many times. Just as delicious with an inexpensive boneless shoulder from Costco! As many have stated the green onions are the sleeper hit. Always have so much of the sauce left though so I cut that in half now. But that’s us. Your mileage may vary. Excellent leftover in tacos, rice bowls etc.

Jill SK

I printed this recipe out years ago, but used the app today and noticed a big difference on the ssam sauce recipe. The original is 2 Tbsp ssamjang, 1 Tbsp gochujang,5 tsp sherry vinegar, 2 tablespoons canola oil, 1 tablespoon water and 1 tsp white vinegar. The recipe in the app has way too much oil and vinegar.

Margaret S.

I made this tonight first time. I used 2 5.5 boneless pork butts. Roasted 275 for 4 hours then turned down to 225 for last 2 hours. I did lightly wipe off salt sugar brine but it was still a bit too salty so would wipe off more throughly next time. . Sat one hour then did the brown sugar for 20 min.at 500. A hit. My only tip would to not wrap in plastic. Next time I'll put in a big bowl and cover with a tea towel over night. The butt weeped through the plastic wrap and then I had to clean fridge! Tripled sauces and added more grape-seed oil to scallion ginger sauce and a spoon full of pan drippings. I fed a party of 13 nicely with leftovers. Everyone loved it!!!

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Credits

Adapted from “Momofuku,” by David Chang and Peter Meehan.

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