Rated 5.0 stars by 1 users
Entree
American
12 - 14 servings
30 minutes
8 hours
I can't think of a better guilty pleasure than slow-roasted pork. But this is not a weekday, a get-dinner-on-the-table-in-30 minutes after type of meal. This dish needs to be cooked at a very low temperature for a very long time until it gets to the melts-in-your-mouth phase. I like to reserve this meal for weekends the house will be filled with enticing aromas from sunrise till dusk.
5 pounds boneless pork shoulder or butt
10 cloves peeled garlic
1/2 cup cumin seed
2 tablespoons Morton's kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
4 Japones Chiles with seeds
1/2 Guajillo Chile, toasted and cut into 1/8 inch strips
1/2 cup hot water
1 California Blood Orange juice, freshly squeezed
1/2 cup orange juice
Heat the oven to 450°F.
In a mortar and pestle, grind together the garlic and cumin seeds till moist (if your mortar is small, do this step in two batches).
Add the black pepper, salt and chilies to the garlic mixture and stir to combine.
Remove the netting from the pork butt and make 1-inch deep diagonal cuts along both the top and bottom of the meat (cuts should be spaced about one inch apart; should have roughly 7-8 slits on each side).
Rub the spice mixture into the slits in the meat and loosely pack remaining spice mixture on top of meat. Place meat on a plate and set aside.
Put corn oil in a heavy cast-iron enameled pot (a Crusolet works great) and heat on medium-low heat till hot.
Add seasoned meat and sear on both sides till brown. (This takes about 10 minutes. Be careful to not to let the garlic burn). Remove meat from pot and place on a plate.
Add water and stir the browned bits with a wooden spoon to deglaze the pot.
Insert a rack into the bottom of the pot and place the meat on the rack (fatty side up). Cook the pork (uncovered) into the oven for 30 minutes.
Pour the orange juices over the meat and brush with an additional tablespoon of oil.
Reduce the temperature to 250° and cover the pot with the lid. Cook for approximately 7 hours, basting the meat with the pan juices about every two hours.
Remove the meat from the pot and place on a cutting board. Cut the meat into 2-inch thick slices, then shred the meat with two forks. Pour the pan juices over the meat and serve.
