Here’s my list of priorities on Super Bowl Sunday: 1) Eat amazing food 2) Drink a ton of beer 3) Take a dope nap 4) Watch some football. The reality is the actual game takes a backseat on this joyous occasion, and I’m not even sorry about saying that.
Super Bowl recipe 2017: Roast giant pork shoulder like a real badass
Minimal commitment, maximum payoff.
The commitment to a slow-roasted pork shoulder is minimal and the payoff is huge, which is exactly why I can’t imagine a better Super Bowl recipe.
Wake up in the morning, fix yourself a mimosa, give your meat a good rub down, and pop it in the oven. That’s basically it. Circle back in eight hours and everyone is going to be ooh-ing and ahh-ing, stuffing themselves full of fatty pork tacos, and you barely had to break a sweat.
Note: Pork shoulder and pork butt are the same cut. Ask your butcher for the biggest one they have — I like to go for around seven pounds — because it’s a relatively cheap cut and the leftovers make for some pretty bomb Cuban sandwiches. Bone-in is better, but either one works.
I like to use a mesquite blend, but feel free to play with any BBQ combination: garlic, cumin, smoked paprika, cayenne — the possibilities are endless.
The fatty layer of skin is pure gold — that’s what leaves you with delicious cracklings at the end of this ordeal. Make sure you give it a good score with a sharp knife, then season the cuts liberally with course salt.
A good, homemade tomatillo salsa isn’t required, but it’s one of the easiest crowd pleasers I’ve ever put together. 12/10 would recommend, recipe included below.
If you’re throwing a party, it’s probably best to be civilized and provide some tortillas for tacos. If you’re at it alone, then attacking with a couple forks is simply the best way to go here.
8-hour low-&-slow pork shoulder with roasted tomatillo salsa and quick pickles
Ingredients
1 pork shoulder (5-10 pounds)
Seasoning or rub
Meat thermometer
For the salsa (optional)
10 tomatillos
4 cloves of garlic
1 large jalapeño
1 large poblano
2 limes
Salt, pepper, cumin, cilantro to taste
For the pickles (optional)
1 large red onion
1 large jalapeño
4 cloves garlic
2 limes
Vinegar of choice
Salt, pepper, sugar, red chili flakes to taste
Instructions
- Remove pork from fridge 1 hour prior to cooking. Rub entire shoulder with a generous amount of seasoning. With a sharp knife, score the fatty skin side, careful not to cut deep into meat. Rub coarse salt into scores, then allow meat to rest while you take care of the salsa and pickles.
- The salsa: Arrange tomatillos, garlic, jalapeño, and poblano on a small baking tray. Broil on the highest rack in your oven for a few minutes, or until the tomatillos develop a nice, dark color on top. Allow veggies to cool, then blend in a food processor with salt, pepper, cumin, and spice to taste. Let cool in fridge.
- The pickles: Slice red onion thinly, then place in a large plastic container or Tupperware. Add smashed garlic cloves, sliced jalapeños (with the seeds, if you’re not a baby), salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes. Cover vegetables halfway with vinegar, then top off with cold water so that everything is completely submerged. Squeeze juice of limes over the top. Seal container, give it a good shake, and then store in the fridge until meal time.
- Once the meat has come to room temperature, preheat oven to 450°F and put in the pork, skin-side up on a cooking sheet. The idea here is to blister the skin at a high heat and get a nice, crunchy crackling before roasting it low and slow. After 30 minutes at 450°F, lower the oven temperature to 250°F and cook for another 7.5 hours, basting pork occasionally with its own fat.
Pork is safe to eat at 160°F, but will be fall-apart tender and mouth-watering at 190°F (which is what this cook time should get you). Allow meat to rest at least 30 minutes before digging in.
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