We are halfway through October and sliding quickly into the holiday season.
As we get closer to cooking turkeys for Thanksgiving and preparing ham for Christmas, my mind goes back to the good old days in Miami.
For my Cuban American family, it was all about the pig!
Back then we’d invite the family over for a huge meal (roughly 15-20 of us gathered at my parent’s house) and dad would buy a whole pig. He would dig a hole and prepare an area for coals to be placed underneath the pig. The whole hog was placed in a special rack he made and then it was covered with a box that had an aluminum top where more coals were placed.
It took almost the whole day, constantly checking the coals and temperature, but that pig was always perfect. My dad and uncle would drink beers all day as they skillfully roasted the whole hog. At dinnertime they were beyond drunk and ready to eat, as we all were (ready to eat, not drunk. I was too young).
The key to a great Latin-style pork was lots of mojo!
As we aged and moved here and there the family gatherings got smaller but there was always a pork butt for the holidays, and now it’s my turn to cook it. These days it’s just mom, my brother, his wife and me. This recipe, plus some sides we all make, is perfect and you’ll have leftovers for sandwiches the next day.
You’ll need:
- 7-hours of cooking time
- 6–7-pound pork butt
1 tablespoon each of:
- Old Bay
- Minced garlic
- Cumin
- Oregano
- Black pepper
- 2 cups of your favorite bottled Mojo (En mi casa we use Goya or Badia)
Twenty-four hours prior to cooking mix all the ingredients together in a large zip bag and place the pork butt in the bag. Seal it tightly and squeeze those flavors into the pork. Leave that in the fridge overnight so it can soak up all the marinade.
To cook it the next day, first pre-heat the oven to 450. Line a roasting pan with tin foil and place the pork in it, FAT SIDE UP. Add a little bit of the marinade and discard the rest. Cover the butt with tin foil.
Cook at 450 degrees for 45 minutes, then turn the heat down to 325. After two hours remove the foil and baste the pork using the pan drippings. From here on out the pork remains uncovered to let the fatty skin get as crisp as possible like a pork rind. Occasionally, baste the butt.
For the last three hours reduce the oven temperature to 200 degrees. The best internal temperature is 185-200 so the pork can be easily hand shredded. Mine was ready by hour seven.
Here is an important tip. Just like a great steak, you should let your pork rest!
I let my pork butt rest for about 15 minutes, and the meat was tender, and juicy. The bone came out with a simple tug; that’s a great sign letting you know the pork was done right.
Pair this with white rice and black beans, or some steamed yuca or yuca fries for a Latin flair. Or serve with some classics like mashed potatoes, green beans, or grilled veggies and enjoy a great meal.