Several wines want to dance with this piece of the pig(1)
With the last vestiges of winter quickly retreating, you still have some time to prepare meals that require full-bodied red wines and hearty appetites. Of course, you have many choices, but today I'll share a recipe for one of my all-time favorite stick-to-your-ribs meals.
Remember the obnoxiously salacious dance a couple of decades back called "The Butt"? Well, I call this meal "Doin' the Butt!" because the main ingredient is pork shoulder, which is (incongruously) called the butt. This humble piece of pig meat is used to make both sausages of all types as well as the uniquely American culinary staple barbecue, where the butt is smoked over a wood fire for hours.
Butt ... er ... but this recipe involves brining and slow-roasting the meat so that it literally falls off the bone. You may wonder why I suggest taking the extra step of brining the meat. Well, brining not only moistens and tenderizes the meat, it also adds wonderful flavors throughout the entire roast. So here goes:
Purchase a 4- to 6-pound pork butt with the bone in. These are usually pretty plentiful this time of year and you may find them on sale for around $2 to $2.50 a pound.
For the brine, you'll need to combine 1/2 cup each of kosher salt and brown sugar, 1 bottle of dark beer, and 3 quarts of cold water in a large bowl.
You may also use half a bottle of red or white wine (does anyone ever have any left over?) or even apple juice or cider in place of the beer.
Stir the mixture until the salt and sugar are dissolved. Place your butt (ha-ha) in a large bowl or crock-pot. Make sure the liquid covers the meat. Let it absorb the brine for at least three hours.
After brining, pat the roast dry and rub all over with a combination of 1 tablespoon each of coarsely ground black pepper and chopped garlic, along with 1 teaspoon of freshly chopped rosemary.
Place the roast in an oven bag or a covered roasting pan and cook at 250° for about five hours. If you decide to use your outside grill, cook the roast at a low temperature for about the same amount of time.
If you're using a charcoal grill, keep the air vents only slightly open and cook it indirectly in a foil pan so you can baste the drippings. This will take about four hours so you'll need to replenish the fire with a few charcoal briquettes from time to time.
The perfect accompaniment to this dish is a potato and onion casserole:
Thinly slice six medium-sized Yukon Gold potatoes along with two large onions and combine in a casserole dish with 1/2 cup of extra-virgin olive oil. To this add a tablespoon of coarsely ground black pepper, a tablespoon of kosher salt and 1 cup of grated Parmesan cheese.
Stir the mixture, cover the dish and bake for about 75 minutes in a 375° oven.
There are myriad red wines that are just dying to "do the butt" with this dish, and here are some suggestions for your sipping pleasure: 2007 Frei Brothers Dry Creek Zinfandel ($19); 2006 Pierre Henri Merlot ($9); 2006 Banfi Chianti Classico Riserva ($15); or 2006 Las Rocas Grenache ($13).
For more on the art and craft of wine, visit John Brown's WineBoy blog at thegazz.com.
