Barbecued Pork Butt
May 14, 2010 in Pork, Recipe Contest Entries by Jack Davis
This recipe combines smoke and fat, burned crust and spicy sauce to create a slow-barbecued piece of heaven.
Ingredients
2 (5-lb/2.5-kg) pork butts
preferably boneless
¼ cup (50 mL) each of granulated
sugar and paprika
2 tbsp (30 mL) each of brown
sugar, ground cumin,
chili powder and Chimayo
chili powder
1 tbsp (15 mL) each of salt, freshly
ground black pepper and
cayenne pepper
1 tsp (5 mL) each of ground
ginger and allspice
½ tsp (2 mL) ground cloves
Directions
Coating the Meat - The pork should be rolled and tied so it will hold during the long barbecuing process. At least 2 hours before barbecuing, stir all the remaining ingredients together. Place a piece of cold meat on a platter or large piece of waxed paper that is larger than the piece of meat. Place almost a ¼ cup (50 mL) of the rub on top of the meat. Press into the meat and rub to cover the entire surface, turning the meat and adding more rub as needed. The platter or waxed paper will catch the rub that falls off. Repeat with the second piece of meat. Let stand at room temperature for 2 hours so that the salt can draw out the juices to form a good crust. Or refrigerate, uncovered, overnight.
Barbecuing - Before turning on the barbecue, read through these steps to be sure everything fits. (Once the barbecue is heated, you don't want to lift the lid a lot.) Turn both burners of your barbecue to high. Close the lid and leave 10 minutes. Then turn one of the burners off and turn the other to low. Since the meat will drip fat, lift the grill on the side that has been shut off and place a pan such as a large shallow roasting pan or foil pan (it must be as wide as the meat) on top of the burner. Replace the grill. Place both pieces of meat on this grill over the shut-off side. Close the lid as quickly as possible because you don't want to lose precious heat. Do not keep checking on how the meat is doing. (Kathy's advice - pull up a chair and a cooler of beer. Turn the meat every 2 hours and pull out another beer.) Cook the meat until the internal temperature is at least 180F (82C) and the meat is very tender, at least 7 or 8 hours. Don't attack the meat with a fork or a temperature probe until it cooks for at least 6 hours because you'll break the crust and the juices will flow out.
Oven Method - The results aren't as smoky tasting but still good. Preheat the oven to 500F (26oC). Put the meat in the oven on a baking sheet or roasting pan with shallow sides. Do not cover. Turn the oven down to 300F (150C) and cook for 30 minutes. Don't open the door. Turn the oven down to 250F (130C) and continue cooking for at least 6 hours or until done as specified above in the barbecue method.
Serving - Remove the meat to a cutting board or large platter. Cover each piece with a big bowl or tent of foil and leave for 15 minutes. At this stage purists take 2 forks and shred the meat, mixing it all up with the crust and a home-made barbecue sauce (see recipe below) and piling it into white fluffy buns. We sliced the meat thickly; slicing all the way through wasn't always needed because it tends to fall apart. It's terrific with baked beans or potatoes, coleslaw and a home-made salsa or applesauce.
Suggested Side Dish
It's terrific with baked beans or potatoes, coleslaw and a home-made salsa or applesauce. Barbecue Sauce This sauce does an outstanding job of complimenting Barbequed Pork Butt. This sauce is fluid and serves well from a wide-nozzle squeeze bottle or drizzled from a spoon. Preparation time 10 minutes Makes 2 cups (500 ml) 1 cup (250 mL) cider vinegar 1 cup (250 mL) granulated sugar 1 tbsp (15 mL) brown sugar 1 tbsp (15 mL) dried hot red chili flakes In a medium-size bowl, stir the vinegar with the sugars and chili flakes until the sugars are dissolved. Add salt and pepper to taste. Transfer to a sterilized jar. The sauce keeps in the refrigerator for up to 1 month.