To Turkey or Not to Turkey

Even though turkey is the traditional meat for Thanksgiving, who says you can’t go against the grain? Our household got tired of turkey, year after year, it was always turkey. And by coming from a large family background, there is always multiple dinners to celebrate, so you know what that means? Multiple times to eat turkey. So, our immediate family said enough is enough, we want something other than turkey.

We decided each year to pick a different source of protein other than turkey for our Thanksgiving feasts. Pork, chicken, or beef, but never turkey. However, we always find ourselves choosing pork more than the others. Our favorite cut of pork? The boneless Boston butt. Not only is this cut so versatile, but it is great at saving leftovers for delicious meals after the fact.

I wanted to share with you all our tried-and-true way of cooking one of these roasts.

What You Will You Need

·         Roasting pan and rack

·         Meat thermometer

·         Aluminum foil

Ingredients

·         3.5# – 4# King’s Rest Farm boneless Boston butt

·         1 tablespoon of salt, pepper, thyme, onion powder, and garlic powder

·         3/4C of brown sugar

Instructions

1.      Combine all of the spices and sugar in a small bowl

2.      Rub the dry rub all over the roast ensuring that all sides are covered

3.      Cover and refrigerate for at least 12 hours (you can skip this step, but it will not allow the flavors to marinate)

4.      Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit

5.      Place the roasting rack inside of your roasting pan and set the roast on the rack with the fat-side facing up

6.      Place the roast in the oven for 30 minutes uncovered

7.      Reduce the oven to 250 degrees Fahrenheit after 30 minutes and continue to cook for another 5 – 7 hours. The “bark” (crispy outside) will be developing at this stage so you will know the bark is done once it is dark with a glossy sheen

8.      Remove the roast from the oven and cover it in aluminum foil

9.      Continue cooking the roast at 250 degrees Fahrenheit until the internal temperature of the thickest part of the roast reaches 200 degrees Fahrenheit

10. Once the roast has finished cooking, remove it from the oven and let it rest for 30 minutes

11. After resting, the pork can be cut against the grain or pulled apart with forks