Recipe: Grill-Roasted Pork Shoulder Cuban Style with Citrus Sauce

GRILL-ROASTED PORK SHOULDER
CUBAN STYLE WITH CITRUS SAUCE

Note from source: The Cubans are masters at slow-roasting pork. The pinnacle of their craft is lechon, a whole, spit-roasted baby pig. Not many of us have the wherewithal to roast a whole pig, even a small one. Instead, large chunks of pork such as whole legs, Boston butt, or even whole shoulders make a more than adequate substitute. Nowadays when you order lechon at a Cuban restaurant, you will more than likely be served roasted leg or even shoulder meat. No matter, it's the tangy marinade that makes this dish so delicious anyway. Some of the marinade is also used to make a sauce for the sliced meat. The meat, by the way, is best cooked well done, to the point where it's falling off the bone.

1 bone-in or boneless Boston butt, 5 to 7 pounds
FOR THE CUBAN MARINADE:
1/4 cup Triangle Sec or Grand Marnier
1/2 cup freshly squeezed lime juice
1/2 cup freshly squeezed orange juice (sour oranges are perfect)
2 tablespoons whole cumin seeds
2 tablespoons chopped fresh oregano (or 2 teaspoons dried)
1 tablespoon grated lime zest
2 tablespoons minced garlic
1/2 cup soy sauce
2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons olive oil
FOR THE CITRUS SAUCE:
1/3 cup reserved Cuban marinade
3/4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lime juice, or to taste
1 teaspoon sugar, or to taste
1/2 cup chopped cilantro (optional)
2 teaspoons cornstarch dissolved in 2 tablespoons water

TO MAKE THE CUBAN MARINADE:
Combine all of the ingredients in a bowl. Set aside 1/3 cup and refrigerate.

Place the pork into a 2-gallon zip-lock plastic bag and pour in the marinade. Seal and refrigerate overnight or up to 2 days. Turn the bag from time to time to redistribute the marinade.

WHEN READY TO GRILL-ROAST:
Remove the pork from the marinade, shake off the excess, and discard the marinade.

Set up a charcoal grill with an equal amount of coals banked on opposite sides and a pan in the center to catch the juice. It takes a long time to cook the pork so make sure you have extra coals available to replenish the fire.

Place the roast over the drip pan. Cover the grill and adjust the vents to maintain a temperature within the grill of between 300 and 325 F. Add more charcoal as needed. Begin checking the roast after 2 hours. When the meat is fork-tender, the roast is ready to come off the grill. Transfer the pork to a cutting board and cover loosely with foil. Let rest at least 15 minutes or up to 30 minutes.

WHILE THE ROAST IS COOKING, MAKE THE CITRUS SAUCE:
Pour all the sauce ingredients into a saucepan except the optional cilantro and cornstarch. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to maintain a simmer, and cook for 5 minutes. Adjust the acidity and sweetness to your taste with additional lime juice and sugar. Stir in the cornstarch mixture and bring to a boil for 30 seconds to thicken slightly. Set aside.

Right before you are ready to serve, rewarm the sauce for a moment and stir in the optional cilantro. Carve the roast into 1/4-inch-thick slices, arrange on a platter, and drizzle with a little of the sauce, serving the remaining sauce in a sauceboat on the table.

Chef's Notes:
Alternatively you can roast the Boston butt in a preheated 325 F oven. The cooking time and range for the doneness are roughly the same.

For a special presentation, try to buy a whole pork shoulder (Boston butt and picnic all in one piece). Then double the marinade and sauce recipes and grill-roast the shoulder for 3 to 4 minutes. This will serve 12 to 16 people.

Servings: 8
Source: Bruce Aidells's Complete Book of Pork: A Guide to Buying, Storing, and Cooking the World's Favorite Meat by Bruce Aidell with Lisa Weiss