Win big and let time do most of the work here, curing and slow-roasting the pork shoulder you’ll serve with two indispensable sauces, white rice, lettuce leaves, kimchi and if you really want to wow yourself or, you know, guests, a dozen or two fresh oysters. From Momofuku by David Chang and Peter Meehan.
The Roast
An 8 to 10 pound whole bone-in pork butt or picnic ham
1 cup white sugar
1 cup plus 1 tablespoon kosher salt
7 tablespoons brown sugar
Prepare
Place the pork in a large, shallow bowl. In another bowl, combine the white sugar and one cup of the salt then rub the mixture all over the meat. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for at least six hours. When it’s time to cook, preheat your oven to 300 degrees. Remove the pork from the refrigerator, brush any excess sugar mixture off the white fat that has come to the surface and remove any juices from the plate. In a roasting pan, cook the pork for approximately six hours, or until it falls apart. (At two hours in, begin an hourly baste with pan juices.) Let the pork rest for up to an hour after removing it from the oven. In a small bowl, mix the last tablespoon of the salt with the brown sugar then rub it all over the cooked pork, which you’ll place in a 500-degree oven for around 15 minutes. Look for a dark, caramel crust as a sign the pork is ready.
Serve hot with cooked white rice, whole Bibb lettuce leaves, the following two sauces, maybe some fresh oysters? Kimchi is always welcome.
Ginger Scallion Sauce
thinly sliced scallions, both green and white parts
peeled, minced fresh ginger
neutral oil (grapeseed is good)
a little light soy sauce
a little less sherry vinegar
kosher salt, to taste
Place all ingredients in a large bowl and mix well.
Ssäm Sauce
2 parts fermented bean-and-chili paste
1 part chili paste (gochujang)
Equal amounts: sherry vinegar and neutral oil
In a medium bowl, mix all ingredients well.