No matter who’s playing in the Super Bowl, the one item that ought to be on your menu is pork butt. Call it by its other name, Boston Butt, if you’re a Patriots fan, but don’t miss serving it for this weekend’s Super Bowl LII festivities.
Even if you’re not a grill genius, pork butt is easy to prepare and is wildly versatile. Use it in tangy pulled pork sliders, barbecue pizza, pork tostadas, pork and bean nachos and more. The great thing about a pork butt is, of course, its generous fat content. All that yummy marbling makes it melt in your mouth, and means it’s hard to dry out.
Begin by coating it thoroughly with your favorite dry rub, or just kosher salt and cracked black pepper, and smoke it over a low and slow fire until it’s falling apart. Or, roast it on a low setting in the oven overnight. On countless occasions, I’ve placed a pork butt fat-side-up in a 225-degree oven at some point in the evening, and then taken it out about 10 hours later. Bone-in or boneless, it doesn’t matter. All it needs is a long time in a low oven. Once the butt is done, you can put it over a low charcoal or wood fire to add a rich, smoky flavor. Or not!
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Barbecue sliders are one of my favorite things to serve on game day. They’re a breeze to assemble and easy for your guests to hold, and they’re a substantial menu item against chips, dips and sweets. Use your favorite barbecue sauce, or make your own. Play around with different breads, slaws and pickles to make them even livelier.
Enjoy!
Maggie Heyn Richardson is a Baton Rouge-based food writer and regular 225 contributor. Reach her at hungryforlouisiana.com.