Last Updated on May 5, 2021
Pork butt (from the shoulder, not the rear-end) is one of our favorite large cuts of meat to roast because it’s delicious, versatile, and one of the all-time crowd-pleasing MVPs. Because pork butt is marbled with both fat and connective tissue, it needs a long, slow roast in order to cook gently and allow the connective tissue time to break down and the fat to melt and baste the meat.
Despite the lower temperature of the oven, the process for roasting a pork butt is the same as the other larger cuts of meat: pre-season the meat (with either a dry or wet rub), bring it to room temperature before placing it in the oven, roast until it hits the desired internal temperature (for pork butt this is around 180°F), and rest for at least 15 minutes before carving.
Because the meat will cook at a lower temperature, you may want to crank the heat up to 425°F or 450°F at the end of the cooking time to give the exterior a chance to brown up.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon ground cumin
- 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
- 1 2 to 3 pound pork butt
Instructions
- Toss salt and spices together in a small bowl and rub all over the pork.
- Cover and refrigerate for at least two hours or overnight.
- Set oven to 300°F. Bring pork out of refrigerator about 30 minutes before you're ready to cook.
- Place on a wire rack fitted inside a rimmed baking sheet and roast for about 40 minutes per pound, or until the internal temperature reaches 180°F.
- Once the pork has reached the right temp, turn the heat up to 450°F and cook for another 20 minutes to brown the exterior.
- Rest the pork on a cutting board for at least 15 minutes before carving and serving.
