I have a love/hate relationship with Christmas. I love all of the gift giving and cookie making. I love the get-togethers and all of the twinkling lights.
What I don’t love is just how dang expensive it is.
Every holiday season we struggle to do all of the gifting we want without digging ourselves into a hole of debt that we then spend the next several months trying to get out of. This Christmas season is no different.
So, we are pinching pennies where we can and with the holiday season coming up hard and fast, affordable holiday-style food is certainly at the forefront of our mind. The thing about inexpensive cuts of meat is that you can either have them good or fast, you cannot have them both. Therefore, while this pork roast might take a while to put together, you will be rewarded with a succulent dish with a bacon crisp outside and tender, melty goodness on the inside. The parsley sauce is optional, but it gives a nice vinegar bite to this rich dish. You could substitute pickled red onions instead. And plan on sandwiches the next day, you will not be disappointed!
Ingredients
Sauce:
- 1 cup minced flat leaf parsley
- 2 cloves of garlic minced
- Pinch of red pepper flakes
- Salt and pepper
- ¼ c . red wine vinegar
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
Instructions
- Lay the Boston butt on a flat work surface and butterfly the roast so that it lays flat. You do this by making small cuts horizontally so that you essentially are “unrolling” the meat. As long as you don’t cut all the way through the meat you are doing fine. Once you have butterflied the butt, score the inside and outside with shallow cuts so that it will roll up more easily and take the seasoning better. Now, in a mortar and pestle, spice grinder, or with a Ziploc bag and a rolling pin, crush the peppercorns, fennel seeds and red pepper flakes. Sprinkle this mixture over the inside of the pork. Next, mince the sage, rosemary and thyme together and then sprinkle that over as well. Repeat with the parsley, garlic, orange zest (that’s the skin of the orange but not the white part) and capers. Sprinkle everything with a pinch of salt. Roll the roast as tightly as you can, making sure the fat cap (that big piece of fat on the outside of the roast) is facing outwards. Tie with kitchen twine and lest rest in the fridge overnight or up to 2 days.Preheat your oven to 300 degrees. In a large Dutch oven or roasting pan, heat the oil over medium high heat. Sear each side of the roast so that the outside begins to brown. Place the whole pan in the oven and roast for 3 hours, uncovered, turning half way through. Turn the oven to 475 for 25 minutes then remove the roast to a cutting board to rest for 15 minutes. Meanwhile mix the sauce ingredients together in a bowl and set aside. Carve the pork into ¼ inch slices and serve with the parsley sauce. Makes great sandwiches too!!
I love roasted pork and these seasonings/spices look fantastic!
It is delicious! Thanks for stopping by!