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

  1. Combine all brine ingredients in a large, non-reactive pot
  2. Bring to boil over medium heat and simmer until the sugar has melted, about 5 minutes
  3. Remove from heat and chill completely
  4. Tie the pork with kitchen twine and season with salt & pepper
  5. Place the pork in the cooled brine, cover and refrigerate at least 4 hours (but preferably overnight)

Roast & Glaze Pork

  1. Preheat oven to 325º
  2. Remove pork from brine, rinse under cold water and pat dry
  3. 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
  4. Roast 2 - 2½ hours, or until a thermometer reads an internal temperature of 155º
  5. 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
  6. 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)
  7. Return to oven to finish roasting
  8. When internal temperature is 155º, allow pork to rest 15-20 minutes before slicing
  9. Slice and plate (Paul suggests serving with roasted root vegetables and polenta!). Drizzle remaining glaze over sliced meat