This slow-roasted pork dish came to me from my Bayona partner, Regina Keever. The succulent meat lends itself to two fantastic preparations. For a Latin-inspired meal, serve it with Green Rice (p. 309). Or make ciabatta sandwiches with Pickled Cabbage and Creole Mustard (p. 154), from the leftovers.

　　

Ingredients

makes 8 to 10 servings

　　1 boneless pork shoulder (about 6 pounds)

　　Juice and zest of 2 oranges (about 2/3 cup)

　　2 jalapeños, stemmed, seeded, and diced

　　2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme

　　2 tablespoons minced garlic

　　2 tablespoons kosher salt

　　2 tablespoons cracked black pepper

　　2 tablespoons olive or vegetable oil

　　

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 325°F.

　　

Step 2

Rinse the pork shoulder and pat dry. Using a paring knife, make several 1/2-inch-deep incisions on both sides of the meat. Mix the juice, jalapeños, thyme, garlic, salt, pepper, and oil, either by hand or by pulsing in a food processor until just mixed. Rub the meat with the mixture, being sure to massage some down into the incisions.

　　

Step 3

Place the meat in a roasting pan fat side up, cover with foil, and roast for 3–4 hours, or until the meat is fork-tender. Cool, remove it from the pan, then shred or slice the pork as desired. After the meat has been removed, add a little water or broth to the roasting pan and stir to dissolve any brown bits, then strain the juices and pour them back over the sliced or shredded meat.

　　From Crescent City Cooking by Susan Spicer Copyright (c) 2007 by Susan Spicer Published by Knopf.Susan Spicer was born in Key West, Florida, and lived in Holland until the age of seven, when her family moved to New Orleans. She has lived there ever since, and is the owner of two restaurants, Bayona and Herbsaint. This is her first cookbook.Paula Disbrowe was the former Cowgirl Chef at Hart & Hind Fitness Ranch in Rio Frio, Texas. Prior to that, she spent ten years working as a food and travel writer. Her work has appeared in The New York Times, Food & Wine, and Saveur, among other major publications.