Roasted Pork w/ Maple-Orange Glaze
Serves 4-6
Ingredients
For Pork
- 4-5 lbs pork butt (shoulder)
- kosher salt (optional, depending on desired saltiness)
- black pepper
For Brine
- ¼ cup pure maple syrup
- 1 quart water
- 1 tbsp smashed fresh ginger
- 3 sage leaves
- 1 sprig rosemary
- 1 piece star anise
- 4 cloves garlic
- 1 tsp red chili flakes
- ½ cup sugar
- ¼ cup kosher salt
- juice of 1 orange
- zested peel of ½ orange
For Glaze
- ¼ cup pure maple syrup
- zested peel of ½ orange
- ¹⁄₈ cup sugar
- ½ cup apple cider vinegar
- ½ tsp red chili flakes
- 4 cups chicken stock
Equipment
- kitchen twine
- cooling rack fitted inside a rimmed baking sheet
How-to
Brine Pork
- Combine all brine ingredients in a large, non-reactive pot
- Bring to boil over medium heat and simmer until the sugar has melted, about 5 minutes
- Remove from heat and chill completely
- Tie the pork with kitchen twine and season with salt & pepper
- Place the pork in the cooled brine, cover and refrigerate at least 4 hours (but preferably overnight)
Roast & Glaze Pork
- Preheat oven to 325º
- Remove pork from brine, rinse under cold water and pat dry
- Season lightly with salt (optional — depending on how salty you want it) and pepper. Place on a cooling rack that is fitted on a rimmed baking sheet
- Roast 2 - 2½ hours, or until a thermometer reads an internal temperature of 155º
- Meanwhile, make glaze by combining all glaze ingredients in a medium pot. Bring to simmer over medium-high heat and cook until reduced and syrupy, about 10 minutes
- When pork is about 25-30 minutes from the end of the cook time, remove from oven and baste with most of the glaze (reserve a few tbsp for plating)
- Return to oven to finish roasting
- When internal temperature is 155º, allow pork to rest 15-20 minutes before slicing
- Slice and plate (Paul suggests serving with roasted root vegetables and polenta!). Drizzle remaining glaze over sliced meat