Slow Roasted Spiced Pork with Lime Olive Oil and Jalapeno Balsamic Vinegar

Cold and rainy days lend themselves to slow roasted dinners. This recipe was inspired by Ina Garten’s slow roasted spiced pork. It’s also great for entertaining since it can be prepared ahead of time so you spend the evening with your guests and not cooking in the kitchen. The Latin flavors of onion, oregano, jalapeno and cumin are brought together beautifully in this dish. One of our favorite accompaniments is our Easy Cornbread with Chipotle Olive Oil.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 bone-in pork butt (7 to 9 pounds) with a layer of fat on top
• 6 garlic cloves
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 jalapeno pepper, ribs removed, seeded, and chopped (optional)
• ¼ cup chopped fresh oregano leaves
• 1 ½ tablespoons ground cumin
• 1 ½ teaspoons chili powder
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 ½ tablespoons Olive This! Jalapeño Balsamic Vinegar
• ¼ cup Olive This! Persian Lime Olive Oil
• 2-4 cups dry white wine, such as Pinot Grigio
• Lime wedges, for serving

DIRECTIONS

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F.

Place the pork on a cutting board fat side up. Score the fat in a crosshatch pattern about ¼-inch deep (as shown above). Using a small paring knife, make about 20-30 ½-inch-deep cuts on the top and sides of the pork to allow the seasonings from the rub to sink in.

Prepare the ingredients for the rub. The rub will use our jalapeno balsamic vinegar but for an extra kick you can add the optional jalapeno to the rub. Rough chop the oregano, onions, jalapeno (if using) and garlic. They don’t need to be finely minced because they’re all going into a food processor.

Place the chopped onion, jalapeno, oregano and garlic into a food processor fitted with a steel blade. Process until finely chopped, stopping to scrape down the sides as necessary. Add the cumin, chili powder, 1 tablespoon salt and 1½ teaspoons freshly ground black pepper.

Process again to form a paste, about 30-45 seconds. Add the jalapeno balsamic vinegar and lime olive oil. Process again just to incorporate.

Rub the mixture all over the top, sides and bottom of the pork. Place the pork in a roasting pan with the fat side up.

Pour 2 cups of the white wine into the roasting pan. The amount may vary depending on the size of your roasting pan but aim for the wine to come about ¾-inch high on the inside of the roasting pan. Cover the pork tightly with foil and roast in the oven for 2½ hours.

After the initial 2½ hours, remove the foil and roast for an additional 4 to 4½ hours, depending on the size of the pork butt (7 to 9 pounds). Every 2 hours, check to make sure there is liquid in the bottom of the pan. Add more wine as needed. The pork is done when the meat is very tender when tested with a fork.

Remove the roast from the oven and tightly cover with foil. Let rest for 15 to 30 minutes. Carve into ½–inch slices, sprinkle with salt and serve. Accompany with lime wedges on the side.

MAKES 8-10 SERVINGS

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