This roast pork butt, coated in a simple rub of brown sugar, paprika, cumin, and red pepper flakes, is incredibly easy to make and yields enough to feed a small army. It's roasted low and slow until falling apart tender. Perfect for Super Bowl, weekend bashes, and weeknight dinners.

A partially shredded roast pork butt in a roasting pan with a cup of barbecue sauce and two forks.

"This oven method for roast pork butt yields delicious pulled pork. (As does the slow cooker method for braised pork butt. My personal preference is for grilling it—see the grilled pork butt variation beneath the recipe. But I've roasted it with excellent results.) Honestly, I'll take pork butt any way I can get it! Any way you choose, be sure to get a pork butt with the bone in and with a decent amount of fat in it. As the pork cooks, the fat will prevent the meat from drying out and the bone will flavor the meat nicely."–Nick Evans

Pork Butt FAQs

We've learned a thing or three about pork butt over the years, and so we want to share those tricks with you. Feel free to chime in and add a comment below with any truths you've experienced in your pork butt escapades.

Is pork butt really the butt of the pig?

: ilonitta
Pork butt is not actually pork butt. It's more like the pork shoulder. Although it gets confusing because you may find either or both of those terms on the label at the store. And either will work in this recipe. But the pork "butt" is actually situated higher on the back of the pig and the "shoulder" is a little lower. Confusing, right?! You want to get the butt when you can. As one of our recipe testers Suzanne Fortier explains, "I was taught by my French-Canadian grandmother and father to request the butt end of the shoulder, or the Boston butt. The other end is sometimes called the picnic shoulder, and it tends to be gristlier. The Boston butt is the only way to go/"

Is a fattier pork butt better?

Yes! We feel the same way one of our recipe testers Jackie Gorman does. In her words, "With pork butt, I don't think that the flavor is dependent upon the bone, but the amount of fat it has." Pork has been bred to be leaner and leaner over the years. Our advice is to get yourself a nice heritage pork butt that's well-marbled and has a thick layer of fat on it, just as God intended. Because as the pork roasts, the fat slowly melts, constantly bathing the underlying meat in what we like to think of as essential fatty acids of a different, porkier, yet still healthful sort.

Roast Pork Butt

A partially shredded roast pork butt in a roasting pan with a cup of barbecue sauce and two forks.

This roast pork butt, coated in a simple rub of brown sugar, paprika, cumin, and red pepper flakes, is incredibly easy to make and yields enough to feed a small army. It's roasted low and slow until falling-apart tender. Perfect for Super Bowl, weekend bashes, and weeknight dinners.

Nick Evans

Prep 20 mins

Cook 9 hrs

Total 10 hrs

  • 1 tablespoon Diamond kosher salt
  • 1 tablespoon light brown sugar
  • 1 tablespoon paprika
  • 1/2 to 1 tablespoon red pepper flakes
  • 1 tablespoon ground cumin
  • 1 tablespoon coarsely ground black pepper
  • One (6 1/2- to 8-pound) bone-in pork butt (aka pork shoulder) or two 3 1/2- to 4-pound pork butts
  • Your favorite barbecue sauce (optional)

  • In a small bowl, stir together the salt, sugar, paprika, pepper flakes, cumin, and black pepper.

  • Rub the pork butt all over with the spice mixture. The pork butt should be completely coated on all sides. If you have time, tightly wrap the pork in plastic wrap, place it in on a rimmed plate or container of some sort, and refrigerate overnight to let the flavors mingle.

  • Heat your oven to 250°F (121°C). Place a wire rack in a roasting pan.

  • Place your pork butt, fatty side up, on the rack. Roast the pork, uncovered, until the exterior of the pork butt is crisp and dry—this is what's referred to as "bark" in smoking circles. This will most likely take 4 to 8 hours, depending on your oven and the size of your pork butt. [Editor's Note: For us, this happened when the pork butt reached an internal temperature of somewhere between 170°F (77°C) and, as professionals and diehards usually recommend, 190° (87°C), although the internal temperature is less important than the undeniable presence of the bark. If you don't let the bark fully develop, the finished pork will be soft and a touch soggy on the outside rather than crisp.]

  • Carefully wrap the pork butt in a couple layers heavy-duty aluminum foil and return it to the wire rack in the roasting pan. Continue to roast until the pork reaches an internal temperature of at least 190°F (88°C) and preferably 200°F (93°C). This recipe is almost impossible to pull off without a meat thermometer. You really can't judge the pork by sight or feel. A thermometer is the only way to know. Personally, we prefer a digital probe thermometer that can be left in the pork as it roasts or grills. When you insert the thermometer, stick it into the thickest part of the pork butt, and be sure not to have it next to any bone or you'll get a false reading.) Remove the pan from the oven and let it rest for 30 to 45 minutes before carefully unwrapping the foil.

  • Shred the roast pork butt with a couple forks, making certain to evenly mix the crisp, dry edges with the insanely moist, tender pork within. You're probably going to want to douse the pulled pork with some barbecue sauce to impart some flavor and sauciness. Use the pulled pork in sandwiches or store it for use in other recipes or just stand there at the counter and nosh on it. (The pulled pork will store well in the fridge for 7 days. If you're freezing it for later, divvy it into 1-pound servings and freeze it in storage bags.)

Grilled Pork Butt variation

Preheat your oven to 250°F (121°C). We highly recommend using an oven thermometer on the grill surface to make sure your temperature is as close to that as possible.

If you're using a gas grill, this will probably mean turning off all the burners except one and turning that burner on medium-low to low.

If you're using a charcoal grill, prepare your grill for indirect heat and build a good coal base before adding the pork. You will most likely have to add charcoal a few times throughout the cooking time to maintain a nice even heat. It's also not a huge deal if your grill gets hotter or cools off a bit. Just do your best to keep it low and steady.

Place your pork butt, fatty side up, directly on the grill rack. Cook the pork at 250°F (121°C) until the exterior is crisp and dry—this is what's referred to as "bark" in smoking circles. This will most likely take 4 to 6 hours, depending on your grill and the size of your pork butt. Carefully wrap the pork butt in a couple layers heavy-duty aluminum foil and return it to the grill rack. Continue to grill until the pork reaches an internal temperature of at least 190°F (88°C) and preferably 200°F (93°C). You absolutely need a meat thermometer to make sure it's done. This will most likely take between 7 and 10 hours although we've had it take up to 14 hours on a finicky charcoal grill. Remove from the oven and let it rest for 30 to 45 minutes before carefully unwrapping the foil. Shred the pork as instructed above.

What can I serve with my roast pork butt?

This pulled pork is mind-bendingly and stupendously magnificent on its own. And it's arguably even better doused with a vinegary barbecue sauce and heaped upon homemade buns (maybe even with a spoonful or three of creamy coleslaw beneath the top bun). Swear.

Serving: 6 ounces Calories: 485 kcal (24%) Carbohydrates: 2 g (1%) Protein: 41 g (82%) Fat: 34 g (52%) Saturated Fat: 12 g (75%) Cholesterol: 152 mg (51%) Sodium: 561 mg (24%) Potassium: 617 mg (18%) Fiber: 1 g (4%) Sugar: 1 g (1%) Vitamin A: 119 IU (2%) Vitamin C: 2 mg (2%) Calcium: 62 mg (6%) Iron: 3 mg (17%)

Recipe Testers' Reviews

Recipe © 2014 Nick Evans. Photo © 2014 HL. All rights reserved. All materials used with permission.

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