PORK BUTT-THE ECONOMIC WINNER
Usually, when discussing pork, I include alternatives for restricted diets, (See Jan. 12, 2017, Jan. 28, 2021) but not today. This post is focused on pork, or more specifically one productive cut, because with meat so pricy now, pork is the most economic, non-poultry choice for the weekly menu. The change in the control of our food supply (see post Oct. 6, 2022) has spread from produce to meats, resulting in the demise of the Meat Packers’ Union thus limiting the variety of cuts of meat in supermarkets.
For pork, among those disappearing cuts are the boneless roast, the rolled roast, steaks and cubes for stew or chili. Country ribs are still around, probably because they are the easiest to carve from the section of meat, the butt or Boston butt, which produces these cuts. The ‘whole butt’ as it’s now called, rarely seen before, has been appearing in markets as an option in itself, and, every few months most markets feature it on sale. It’s a terrific buy because butts run 7>8 lbs. and the sale is usually $.99>$1.29 per lb. That’s a lot of meat for the price today.
First, a bit of information about the ‘whole butt’ because the name is misleading. The term ‘pork’ refers only to the meat located in the front part of the animal along the back. The hind quarters are labeled ham, the sides are ribs, and the belly is bacon. The whole or Boston butt is the primal cut from the pork shoulder and extends down the neck from the head to the top of the shoulder. Its only bone is the tip of the blade.
It is often confused with the Picnic roast or butt, which is the actual shoulder joint and as such contains a complex a bone mass, making it easier to carve as a whole, than to separate into different cuts. With the butt, the small wedge of shoulder blade is easily removed and the rest is solid meat easily cut into steaks, roasts and country ribs. It’s such a terrific buy because it furnishes the basis for many independent meals. Its only drawback is that it’s highly marbleized, requiring longer cooking, but on the plus side, the butt is one of the juiciest, flavorful parts of pork.
This was just too much for me, professionally or personally, to resist. I had carved meat, cut it into cubes for stew, disjointed poultry and skinned fish, but never butchered. Undaunted, I turned to You Tube and found Jimmy Kerstein https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D10lJYqjLB4 who guided me through my first try with a whole butt. It wasn’t seamless; I really made a mess out of removing the bone, but I did get enough good cuts to make trying again worthwhile. Now I have it down and enjoy different cuts of pork which I can size to my needs as an empty nester. And that is a very important aspect of this. No matter if your family is large or small, rarely are supermarket packages of meat perfectly proportioned to your needs.
I know all of you can find plenty of recipes for roast, cubes and boneless pork steaks, but since butt meat is best when cooked longer, I searched for recipes which have few ingredients. This way, the meat is quickly prepped for cooking and easily served, to make up for any extra stove/oven time. My thanks to Robert and Carol Hildebrand’s 50-3 ingredient Recipes for most of the recipes below. Just remember with pork to follow the recommended cooking times and temperatures-usually for ovens 350deg 35-45 min per lb. adding 20 min. per lb. if cooking the meat frozen. The same is true when pot roasting-add roughly half of the total calculated cooking time per lb.
Butt roasts also do well in Dutch Ovens, uncovered to brown the last hour, following oven roasting directions. If you don’t have a Dutch oven or a covered roasting pan, line the pan with enough foil to bring the ends up to cover the roast.
Crock pots, or slow cookers are not recommended for frozen pork because the gradual heating process allows the meat to sit in the danger zone for bacteria growth too long. However, there are many recipes for raw pork and there’s a fantastic, truly simple recipe for pulled pork below.
Instant pots heat faster so they do allow for frozen meats, but recommend having it cut in large pieces before freezing. They also generally recommend adding half the total cooking time if necessary. Because Instant Pots do heat so fat and can be tricky you go to https://cookthestory.com/instant-pot-roast-pork/ before you start. The most important thing is that the meat registers 150 > 160 deg. on a meat thermometer when finished. Like poultry, pork is served well done.
RECIPES
My Boneless Pork Roast: Serves 4-5—A basic recipe
2 lb. boneless pork butt roast
2 tsp. ground thyme
1 Tbs, dried rosemary
1/4 -1/3 cup water
Preheat oven to 350 deg. Spread thyme then rosemary over top and sides of meat. Place roast in pan with water and roast required time, making sure water level remains constant. When done remove and slice. Serve hot with gravy.
Optionally add potatoes and/or onions (lightly parboiled so they roast evenly) to the pan for the last hour.
GRAVY
1 cup chicken stock or broth-can be 1 cup water + 1 envelope bouillon granules
1 cup beef stock or broth- can be 1 cup water + 1 envelope bouillon granules
2 heaping Tbs. cornstarch
Poultry seasoning to taste or rosemary and thyme
Dissolve solids in the liquid, add pan drippings, bring to a boil and simmer for 3 min. or until desired thickness is reached. Serve hot.
TIPS: If you want a bit more zing to the gravy, add ½ tsp. vinegar and a few drops Worcestershire sauce
VARIATIONS: Pork loves to partner with fruit
1) Add pared cored apples-centers optionally filled with raisins the last hour of cooking-1 per portion
2) Add firm pear halves, cored but not peeled, bottom side down, the last hour of cooking-1/2 per portion
3) Add 2-3 fennel bulbs, fronds removed and split in 4 wedges each.
GRAVY VARIATION:
1) Reduce water in above recipe to 1 ½ cups, bouillon to ½ packet each and add ½ cup cider-proceed as directed.
2) Add 3 cups cider to the pan and maintain level during roasting. Serve as a sauce in place of gravy.
Cranberry Glazed: Serves 6-8
6 lb. pork butt roast
(1) 16 oz. can whole berry cranberry sauce
1/3 cup brown sugar
Mash the berry sauce and mix with the sugar to dissolve. When the roast is done, uncover and make deep slashes across the top. Fill with the cranberry mix and cook 30 min more, basting often.
My Family Pork ‘n Kraut Recipe: Serves 4
Bone from the butt roast
4 portions of pork meat in large pieces
(1) 2 b. can of sauerkraut
(1) 16 oz. can sauerkraut
1 pkg. instant mashed potatoes
Put the 2 l. of kraut in the bottom of a large pot. Lay the bone and meat over and top with the kraut from the smaller can. Add enough water to almost cover. Put the lid on the pot, bring to a boil and simmer for about 3 hrs. until pork is falling apart. Make potatoes as director on box but don’t enrich taste. Serve the pork and kraut either over or alongside the potatoes.
Chinese Black Bean Pork Roast: Serves 4-6
4 lb. pork butt roast
(2) 10 oz. jars Chinese black bean sauce
½ cup chopped fresh cilantro
Cook pork as for Cranberry Glazed but only lightly slash the top of the roast. Pour over the bean sauce and cook 30 min. more basting occasionally.
NOTE: This recipe can also be used for pork steaks, Cook them covered for about 1 hr., depending on thickness. Uncover and pour over 1 jar of sauce then cook 30 min. longer.
Pork in Wine: Serves 2-4-deending on the amounts of add-ins
1 ½ -2 lbs. pork cubes or roast leftovers
2 Tbs. butter or oil-if using raw meat
1 large or 2 medium onions –in 16ths
1 cup red wine
2 tsp. dried rosemary
2 tsp. dried thyme or sage
Enough half chicken-half beef stock, or water with bouillon granules mixed with any leftover gravy, to cover
1 Tbs. cornstarch for every cup liquid
Optional add-ins
1 cup Julianne Bell pepper
(1) 8 oz. can mushroom caps or more r equal amount fresh button mushrooms
(1) cup peas or cut green beans
12 or more baby carrots halved
1/2 cup sliced celery
If using raw meat sear it in the oil in a large pot. Otherwise, put the meat in the pot, add the wine and enough of the broths to cover, and simmer for 1 hr. Add the chosen add-in ingredients, the remainder of the broths and cook until they are tender. Dissolve the cornstarch in equal measure of water or wine, add to pot, bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until desired thickness is achieved. Serve hot.
Pork Steaks in Pepper Sauce: Serves 4
@ 1/2 to 2 lbs. pork in 4 thick steaks
2 tsp. minced bottled garlic
1 tsp. dried basil
1 medium onion –chopped
(1) 7 oz. jar roasted red peppers*
1 tsp. oil
1/8 tsp. lemon pepper
¼ cup White wine
2 Tbs. butter
SAUCE: Microwave onion in oil with lemon pepper 1 ½ min. Drain peppers, blend with onion, basil, and garlic to a puree. Add the wine.
Melt the 2 Tbs. butter in a skillet over medium heat and brown meat on both sides. Pour sauce over the meat, reduce heat and cover. Simmer gently for 40-60 min., until pork is done, checking to maintain fluid level Add more water or wine if needed.
*Other varieties of roasted peppers or chilies can be added to taste as can hot sauce, but be aware if using Method B that the longer hot spices are cooked the hotter they become.
Spicy Pork: Serves 6
3-4 lb. pork cut in 2>3 inch cubes
2 Tbs. EACH oil, chili powder, chili flakes, chopped cilantro, chopped parsley
½ Tbs. EACH seasoned salt and ground cumin
1Tbs. EACH minced garlic, dried oregano and black pepper
1 cup EACH diced onion and chicken broth
In a large bowl mix all ingredients but broth. Toss to coat pork well and marinate, chilled, at least 4 hrs. Put the mixture in a Dutch oven or covered oven-proof pot; add broth and cook in a preheated 350 deg. oven for 3 ½ to 4 hrs. until meat is fork tender. Serve hot in bowls or over grain or pasta.
Crock Pot Barbecued Shredded Pork: Serves 6-8
2-3 lb. pork butt-thawed or raw-optionally cut into large cubes*
(1) 12 oz. bottle barbecue sauce
1 onion sliced –optional
Place half the onions and half the sauce in the bottom of the pot, add meat then the rest of the onion and sauce. Cook on low 24 hr. Remove meat, cut and shred with 2 forks. Return to pot to mix with juices.
* If cut into cubes reduce cooking time to 6-8 hrs. on low
Sausage: Yield 5 lbs. Adjust ingredient measurements to the quantity of meat. This is for the left over scraps after butchering-especially if you mess it up as badly as I did the first time.
5 lb. meat untrimmed
3 ½ Tbs. salt
1 Tbs. black pepper
1 2/2 Tbs. dried thyme or sage
Grind meat, mix thoroughly with other ingredients. Form into rolls or patties. Allow to rest in the fridge at least 12 hrs. before using. Can freeze.
