“People who love to eat are always the best people.”
—Julia Child
In the delicious and auspicious world of BBQ, the basic Rule of Thumb is “LOW AND SLOW” cooking. BBQ-ing typically is an Art Form involving wood, fire and more than a little “know-how” about smoking and grilling meats. But what about a “SHORT-CUT” method? What to do if you crave BBQ but are short on time to prepare and cook and? Obviously, you still want the most sensationally tasty BBQ fare for your family, and guests and yourself…what is a BBQ Enthusiast to do in such a conundrum? Have no fear, www.ribbqnews.com readers, we are here with a few BBQ Tips and Tricks to assist you!
www.southernliving.com has a recipe for “Oven Roasted Pork Butt,” that is incredibly easy to make in addition to being hands-down flavorsome! This recipe is exceedingly popular and is in fact, Southern Living’s “Most Pinned Barbecue Recipe of All Time!” While “respecting all that goes into making traditional BBQ, sometimes it’s nice to have an easy short-cut!” So, why is this Oven Roasted Pork Butt Recipe such “A Winner?” Because it is made with 4 to 5 pounds of bone-in Boston pork butt and it is infallibly simple to make, even if it is your first time working with this cut of meat! A quick and easy rub made from common spices, salt and sugar, or a rub made with your favorite BBQ rub and spice blend, is massaged into the meat, which rests for 30 minutes afterward. Instead of cooking the pork butt low and slow in a smoker, the meat bakes in a conventional oven at 350 degrees for 4 to 4 and ½ hours. When the pork butt is done, all you have to do is let it stand for 15 minutes then shred the meat. This easy pork butt recipe is great for adding pulled pork to salads, sandwiches, sliders and more! Southern Living states, “A pork butt is the ultimate multi-tasking meal. A 4-to-5-pound pork roast can feed a few dozen folks at once or a family of 4 four for a few meals. And the great thing about this recipe? You don’t need a special smoker or grill. Your oven will do all of the work.”
*A Boston Butt Pork Roast, also known as the pork shoulder, is cut from the lower part of the pig’s shoulder. It is a fattier cut with less marbling, making it perfect for slow-cooking methods such as braising or smoking. The Boston butt has a robust flavor and a tender, fall-off-the-boner texture.
This recipe for pork butt takes its inspiration from low and slow barbecue cooking, but instead its cooked in the oven until it’s fork-tender. A mouth-watering sweet and smoky barbecue rub made of brown sugar, smoked paprika, and other spices imbues the meat with flavor as it cooks
and gives the meat a delectable, sticky-sweet crust. “Your kitchen will smell amazing as the meat roasts all afternoon in the oven!” This Southern Living Recipe will become your “Go-To” Dinner Option when you need to serve a crowd or cook ahead for busy weeks.
–Ingredients for Oven Roasted Pork Butt:
- Seasoned Salt: This is a fantastic starting base for seasoning a pork butt. It adds sodium of course, but it’s also a tangy, nearly umami-like flavor that’s hard to find in any other seasoning.
- Dark Brown Sugar and Granulated Sugar: The 2 sugars add a hint of sweetness to the crust, but they also help brown and crisp up the meat while the pork butt roasts.
- Paprika, Garlic Powder, Dry Mustard, Cumin, Ground Ginger, and Black Pepper: These seasonings make up the rest of the Rub Mixture.
- Boston butt pork roast: A 4-to-5-pound roast is ideal for this oven roasting method. It will take a few hours to cook but it will remain juicy and tender. You can trim the roast yourself or ask your butcher to do it for you, before you bring your roast home.
- Meat Shredding Claws: These kitchen tools are usually shaped like a bear’s paws with sharp tines, used to shred, lift, and handle meats; providing a safe and efficient method as a “short-cut” to shredding hot meats.
–Pork Butt Roast Cooking Method:
It takes several hours to cook pork in the oven; but waiting is the most complicated part of the recipe!
- Make spice mixture by combining all the seasonings, sugars and spices.
- Trim the roast; or if you had your butcher trim the pork roast for you, just place the pork roast in a baking dish or a rimmed sheet pan lined with aluminum foil, for easy clean up.
- Let the roast sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes before you begin the long roast. Allowing the meat to warm slightly will help it cook more evenly. Then, add the spice rub.
- Let the meat bake for several hours until the thickest portion reaches 195 degrees F. The roast will continue to rise to around 205 degrees F while it’s standing at room temperature.
- SHRED the pork butt roast and serve!
How long does it take to cook a pork butt roast? A 4-to-5-pound pork butt roast will take approximately 4 hours or longer to cook. The best temperature for cooking pork butt is 350 degrees. Pork butt is a large piece of meat and has the bone in-tact, so it takes a while to cook until it is tender. You will know that the pork roast is done cooking when it has an internal temperature of 200-205 degrees and it will be tender enough to pull apart with a fork. While the US Department of Agriculture recommends that other cuts of pork be cooked to an internal temperature of 145 degrees, pork butt has a lot of fat and connective tissue, which takes a longer cooking time and higher internal temperature to become tender enough to eat.
This short-cut recipe for oven roasted pork butt is a scrumptious Main-Course option for a BBQ Style dinner. The infamous down-home classic BBQ side dishes pair exceptionally well with this recipe: tangy and sweet baked beans, moist and finger-licking good cornbread, buttery and savory collard greens, and creamy Mac-N-Cheese are all excellent accompaniments to this pork roast dish. You may find recipes for traditional side dishes at: www.delish.com where you shall also find a recipe collection of “68 Fall Appetizers: Small Bites With Big Fall Flavors” List. And at www.bettycrocker.com – which additionally has a list of “101 Dinners You Can Make With Pantry Staples,” as a super helpful Tips and Tricks for “I-Have-No-Dinner-Plan-Last-Minute-Meal” suggestions! And check out www.americastestkitchen.com where you may find “The Complete Cook’s Country TV Show Cookbook” recipes to add succulent side dishes to your perfectly roasted pork butt Main Course.
Step-By-Step Directions to Make Short-Cut Oven Roasted Pork Butt:
- Preheat Oven to 350 degrees. Gather Ingredients. Make Seasoning Mix:
- –4 tsp seasoned salt
- –2 tsp dark brown sugar
- –1 ½ tsp granulated sugar
- –1 ½ tsp paprika
- –1/4 tsp garlic powder
- –1/4 tsp black ground pepper
- –1/8 tsp dry mustard
- –1/8 tsp ground cumin
- –pinch of ground ginger
- –A 4-to-5-pound bone-in Boston butt pork roast
–Stir together salt, brown sugar, granulated sugar, paprika, garlic powder, black pepper, dry mustard, cumin, and ginger in a medium bowl.
- Trim and rinse pork butt roast, then Pat dry. Coat the roast with seasonings mixture; sprinkle then rub seasonings into/onto roast; Let the roast stand at room temperature for 30 minutes.
- Bake pork butt roast. Place roast in aluminum foil-lined pan. Bake 4 to 4 ½ hours or until meat thermometer inserted into thickest portion registers 195 degrees. Let pork roast stand for 15 minutes. Shred pork roast.
How to Serve Your Oven Roasted Pork Butt:
–Make pulled pork slider sandwiches, served with BBQ sauce, pickles, and cole slaw; Decadently distinctive- savory, meaty and yet also delightfully fresh with the pop of pickles and cole slaw.
–Make pulled pork nachos using sturdy tortilla chips and adding chopped tomatoes, grilled corn, shredded cheese, cilantro, guacamole, chopped onions, and even pineapple chucks! Crispy, Crunchy, Cheesy Goodness!
–Make pulled pork stuffed baked potatoes; loading up baked potatoes with cheeses, sauteed veggies, crispy onions, and pico de gallo; Filling comfort food.
–Make pulled pork stuffed zucchini boats with tangy crisp cole slaw, dressed with BBQ sauce and onions; Light yet piquant and tantalizing.
–Make pulled pork tacos with chopped tomatoes, diced onions, fresh lime juice, fresh cilantro and shredded cheese; Tacos are ALWAYS a GOOD IDEA- refreshing, heavenly crunchy bites of deliciousness!
Enjoy utilizing these TASTY TIPS and TRICKS with your family and friends ASAP! As always, please share with us any photos of your exquisite and luscious BBQ creations and dishes!
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