Comfort Food, Great Leftovers, Keeps Well, Freezes Well
A boneless Boston butt can be cured and smoked, then slow-roasted. From there, you can serve it as is or chill it, slice it across the grain into ⅛-inch-thick slices, and panfry as a very meaty bacon.
Makes 3 to 5 pounds
INGREDIENTS:
- 4- to 6-pound whole boneless Boston butt (pork shoulder butt)
- Basic Wet Brine ([>]) made with Insta Cure No. 1
- 2 tablespoons coarsely ground black pepper (optional)
INSTRUCTIONS:
- Lay the meat fat side up on a cutting board. With your knife held parallel to the work surface, cut the meat into 2 pieces, each 1½ to 2½ inches thick. Curing the meat for 2 days.
- Remove the pork from the brine, rinse, and pat dry. Sprinkle evenly with the pepper (if using). Smoke. Cool to room temperature, then wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate. (Refrigerate for up to 1 week or freeze for up to 2 months.)
- To roast the smoked butt, preheat the oven to 225°F.
- Put the meat in a roasting pan and roast for 2 to 2½ hours, or until the internal temperature reaches 150°F on an instant-read thermometer.
ALTERNATIVE CUTS:
- Boneless blade-end pork loin roast, left whole, cured in the brine for 2 days.
COOK’S NOTES:
- Vary the brine as suggested in the Cook’s Notes following the bacon recipe. I particularly like this with treacle or malt syrup added to the brine.
- To use in place of bacon, refrigerate for up to 5 days, then slice into ⅛-inch-thick slices across the grain and fry for 2 to 3 minutes per side (don’t try to fry until crisp, or it will become tough and dry).
