Serves 4
“When you buy a pork butt, you are buying pork that is cut from the shoulder of the pig. The story is that in colonial New England, the shoulder cut was stored and distributed in barrels known as butts, and somehow the name stuck. It is a cut with some fat that makes it flavorful, and, in this recipe, the long slow cooking makes it very tender.” —Jacques Pépin
Ingredients:
2 pounds pork butt
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
4 to 6 large cloves garlic
1 onion, about 10 ounces, cut into 1-inch cubes
1 eggplant, cut into 2-inch dice/cubes
1 zucchini, cut into 2-inch dice/cubes
1 large tomato, about 10 ounces, cut into 1-inch dice
½ teaspoon herbes de Provence or Italian seasoning
Chives or parsley, for serving
Method:
Preheat oven to 275°F.
Sprinkle the pork butt with salt and pepper, rubbing it in well. Cut one of the cloves of garlic into five or six wedges, and, using a small sharp knife, make five or six slits in the pork. Insert a wedge of garlic into each slit. Heat a Dutch oven over medium-high heat, and, when hot, place the garlic-studded pork butt fat side down in the pot. Cook, turning frequently, until it is golden brown on all sides, 15 to 20 minutes.
When the pork is browned all over, sprinkle it with the herbes de Provence. Add the onion, eggplant, zucchini and tomato. Roughly chop the remaining cloves of garlic and add. Season with salt and cover. Cook in the oven until the pork is very tender, 1½ to 2 hours.
Remove the cooked pork from the cocotte and let it rest for 10 minutes. Using a large spoon, transfer the vegetables and some of the cooking liquid to a serving platter. Slice the pork into thick slices and arrange on top. Sprinkle with chives or parsley and serve.