STICKY-SWEET GRILLED PORK SHOULDER WITH HOISIN AND MOLASSES

Sticky-Sweet Grilled Pork Shoulder with Hoisin and Molasses image

Inspired by the classic Cantonese barbecued pork dish known as char siu and gloriously shellacked with a molasses glaze, the pork in this recipe should be fridge-cold when you roast it, so take it straight from the refrigerator to the grill. Time and temperature matter for this recipe, which is why a Big Green Egg is such an awesome cooking tool. But we also give you instructions on how to make this with an oven + conventional grill if you don't own a BGE.

Provided by James Dumapit

Categories Bon Appétit Dinner Pork Grill/Barbecue Grill Molasses Garlic Ginger Honey Sesame Oil Summer

Yield 8 servings

Number Of Ingredients 16

Ingredients

Pork:
2 heads of garlic, cloves separated, peeled
1 (wide, 6") piece ginger, peeled, chopped
1 cup hoisin sauce
3/4 cup fish sauce
2/3 cup honey
2/3 cup Shaoxing (Chinese rice) wine
1/2 cup chili oil
1/3 cup oyster sauce
1/3 cup toasted sesame oil
1 (4-5-lb.) skinless boneless pork shoulder (Boston butt)
Kosher salt
Glaze and assembly:
3/4 cup (packed) dark brown sugar
1 Tbsp. mild-flavored (light)molasses
Bread-and-butter pickles, white bread, cilantro, and rinsed thinly sliced white onion (for serving)

Steps:

Pork:
Purée garlic, ginger, hoisin sauce, fish sauce, honey, wine, chili oil, oyster sauce, and sesame oil in a blender until very smooth. Place 1 1/2 cups in a small bowl for glaze; cover and chill until ready to use. Pour remaining marinade into a 2-gal. resealable plastic bag.
Place pork shoulder, fat side down, on a cutting board with a short end facing you. Holding a long sharp knife about 1"-1 1/2" above cutting board, make a shallow cut along the entire length of a long side of shoulder. Continue cutting deeper into meat, lifting and unfurling with your free hand, until it lies flat (it's better to end up with 2-3 even pieces than 1 uneven piece). Add to bag with marinade and seal, pressing out air. Work pork around inside bag to coat with marinade. Chill at least 8 hours and up to 1 day.
Prepare a Big Green Egg for medium heat (with cover closed, thermometer should register 350°F). Remove pork from marinade, letting excess drip off. Lightly season all over with salt. Fit grill with convection plate and set pork on top. (If you don't have a convection plate, bank coals on one side and set pork over cooler area to avoid flare-ups.) Cover and roast pork until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part registers 140°F-145°F. (You can also do initial cooking in a 350°F oven.) Transfer to a cutting board and let rest at least 20 minutes.
Glaze and assembly:
Bring brown sugar, molasses, and reserved marinade to a simmer in a large saucepan; cook until reduced by one-third, 6-8 minutes (you should have about 1 1/3 cups). Keep warm.
Prepare a Big Green Egg for medium-high heat (or use a conventional grill). Grill pork, basting and turning with 2 pairs of tongs every minute or so, until thickly coated with glaze, lightly charred in spots, and warmed through (an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part should register 130°F-145°F; be careful not to overcook), 6-8 minutes. Transfer to a cutting board; slice against the grain ¼" thick. Serve with pickles, bread, cilantro, and onion.
Do Ahead
Pork can be roasted 2 days ahead. Let cool; cover and chill.