Ingredients
- 1 whole bone-in pork butt (8 to 10 pounds/3.6 to 4.5 kg)
- 1 cup (200 g) sugar
- 1?2 cup (65 g) plus 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 1 ½ teaspoons ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
- 2 limes
- 2 oranges
for serving:
- Butter lettuce cups
- Charred flour and corn tortillas
- Chipotle Salsa
- Guacamole
- Pico de Gallo
- Pickled Onions
- Pickled jalapenos, chopped white onions, cilantro, scallions, and lime wedges in individual bowls
Instructions
- Place the pork in a large, shallow bowl. Mix together the sugar and 1/2 cup (65 g) of the salt in another bowl, then rub the sugar-and-salt mixture all over the meat. Cover the pork with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for at least 6 hours or overnight.
- When you’re ready to cook, preheat the oven to 300°F (150°C). Remove the pork from the refrigerator and brush off the sugar-and-salt mixture. Score the fat cap of the pork butt in a crosshatch pattern, place the pork in a roasting pan, fat side up, and roast for approximately 7 to 8 hours.
- After the first hour, baste hourly with the pan juices. After an additional 5 hours, remove the meat from the oven. Stir together the chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, red pepper flakes, oregano, paprika, the remaining 1 teaspoon salt, and the black pepper and sprinkle the spice mix over the top of the roast. Place the pork back in the oven and let it cook for another hour or so. If the spices start to burn, tent the pork with aluminum foil. The meat is done when it’s super easy to tear apart with a fork. It should basically collapse when you try to pull it apart.
- To create a crust, turn up the oven to 500°F (260°C) and juice the limes and oranges over the pork. Roast the pork butt for another 10 to 15 minutes, until a dark caramel crust develops on the meat.
- Serve hot, with the accoutrements. Invite diners to create lettuce wraps with pieces of the pork and whatever toppings they desire.