Holidays

Super Bowl Face-Off: Salmon Teriyaki Buns vs. Boston Butt Sliders

A Super Bowl Food Rivalry: Seattle vs. New England

When the lights come up this Sunday at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California, two world-class teams will face off for Super Bowl LX. Both bring extraordinary passing and tackling skills to the most watched sports contest of the year. And both come from cities with equally formidable culinary traditions.

Seattle—home to the Seahawks—is world-renowned for its seafood, especially its salmon. The Patriots (or “Pats” as we call them on their home turf) come from New England—home to one of the most beloved cuts of meat in the United States of Barbecue. That would be the Boston butt (also known as pork shoulder), without which there would be no pulled pork.

So how did the Boston butt acquire its singular name? In Colonial times, pork shoulders were salted to preserve them and packed into wooden barrels called butts. (They sustained the sailors who signed on for extended whaling cruises.) The name stuck, even though virtually all the pork shoulder we eat today is fresh, not salted.

In honor of the big game, we decided to stage a Super Bowl faceoff of our own—a battle of the sandwiches, as it were. For the Seattle Seahawks: salmon teriyaki served Pac-Rim style, on a steamed bun.

For the Patriots, a pulled pork slider slathered with chipotle molasses barbecue sauce—the latter an homage to one of Boston’s major industries in the 19th and early 20th century: molasses. The prime ingredient for making rum, molasses was stored in enormous warehouses around Boston.

So teriyaki steamed buns versus Boston butt sliders—both perfect handheld fare for your Super Bowl party. May the best sandwich, I mean team, win.

Recipes

Teriyaki Salmon Steamed Buns

Makes 16 and can be multiplied as desired.

For the teriyaki marinade/sauce

1/2 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup sake or mirin
1/3 cup sesame oil
1/3 cup maple syrup or brown sugar (if using mirin, reduce to 1/4 cup)
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 inch fresh ginger, sliced and crushed
2 scallions, white part crushed, green part thinly sliced

2 pounds boneless skinless salmon fillets

1 cucumber, seeded, cut into matchstick slivers

16 steamed buns (available frozen at Asian markets—thaw for using) or 16 Hawaiian rolls

1. Place the teriyaki marinade ingredients in a foil drip pan and whisk to mix. Add the salmon, turning to coat both sides. Marinate for 30 minutes, turning twice.
2. Set up your grill for direct grilling and heat to high (450 degrees). Brush or scrape the grill grate clean and oil it well.
3. Arrange the salmon on the grate and grill until sizzling and browned on the outside and cooked through, 3 to 5 minutes per side. Place the foil pan with the marinade on the grate and boil until the marinade is thick, syrupy, and reduce by one-third, 5 minutes.
4. Warm the buns on the grill. Watch carefully as they can scorch in seconds.
5. Transfer the salmon to a cutting board and cut into 16 pieces. Place a piece on each steamed bun. Drizzle a spoonful of the boiled teriyaki marinade on top and dust with scallion greens. Add cucumber matchsticks, close the bun, and serve.

Boston Butt Sliders with Chipotle Molasses Barbecue Sauce

1 Boston butt (see above; 4 to 5 pounds)
Your favorite barbecue rub (like my Kansas City Smoke Rub)
16 Hawaiian rolls or slider rolls
3 tablespoons melted butter, or more as needed
Chipotle Molasses Barbecue Sauce
Pickle slices, for serving (sweet or dill)

1. Season the Boston butt generously on all sides with barbecue rub. Set up your grill for indirect grilling and heat to 325 degrees. Add wood chunks or soaked drained smoking wood chips to the fire. Cook the Boston butt until tender enough to shred, 4 to 5 hours or more, or until the bone slides out easily. Shred the pork while hot with two forks or meat claws.
2. Meanwhile, make the Chipotle Molasses Barbecue Sauce.
3. Brush the cut sides of the Hawaiian buns with melted butter. Just before serving, grill until toasted—1 to 2 minutes. Do not let burn.
4. To assemble the sandwiches, pile pulled pork on each sandwich. Top with a spoonful of Chipotle Molasses Barbecue Sauce and pickle slices. Serve at once and may the best sandwich win!

Enjoy the game, fire up the grill, and have some fun with it. These recipes are here to give you a couple of solid, crowd-friendly options for Super Bowl Sunday. However it plays out on the field, we hope they earn a spot in your game-day lineup.

Grill on!

Super Bowl Sandwiches: Frequently Asked Questions

Related Reads

• Boston Butt Basics
• A Grilled Slider Recipe for Super Bowl Sunday
• Super Bowl LX Menu: Patriots vs. Seahawks Game Day BBQ