When I’m making this, Mark always comes up and says, “Every good butt deserves a good rub.” (It’s a phrase also seen on signs at some good BBQ joints.) So to start this recipe, make a good rub. And when you’re choosing your pork butt, always look for good marbling. I go for one that’s 4 to 7 pounds. If you don’t have a grill, don’t worry; this one is roasted in the oven. No one ever complains about that in my house.
SERVES 14 TO 16
RUB
½ cup packed light brown sugar
2 tablespoons paprika
1½ teaspoons onion powder
1½ teaspoons garlic powder
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1 teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon ground ginger
½ teaspoon salt
1 (4- to 7-pound) bone-in pork butt
1. Make the rub: In a large bowl, combine all of the rub ingredients and mix well.
2. Put the pork butt in the bowl, rub the seasoning all over the pork, and let it sit uncovered in the refrigerator for 2 hours, or cover the pork butt and refrigerate overnight.
3. Thirty minutes before you begin to cook, take the pork out of the refrigerator and let the butt come to room temperature. This will keep the meat tender.
4. Preheat the oven to 325°F.
5. Put the pork butt in a roasting pan, cover with heavy-duty foil, leaving a little room to spare, and roast until the pork is so tender it pulls away from the bone, about 3 hours.
6. Remove the butt from the oven and let rest for 30 minutes. Then, using a fork, pull the meat away from the bone and into shreds.