Ingredients

1 8-9 pound fresh pork butt

1/3 cup kosher salt

2/3 cup sugar

¼ cup chopped garlic

¼ cup chopped fresh thyme

¼ cup chopped fresh rosemary

2 tablespoons freshly ground black pepper

¼ cup fennel pollen, or substitute crushed fennel seeds (can crush with the back of a pan on a cutting board, or pulse in a spice mill)

Preparation

1. Place pork butt onto a pan, cookie sheet, or cooking vessel large enough to hold it.
2. With a paring knife make about 12-1” deep incisions in the top of the roast.
3. Mix the salt, sugar, herbs & spices together.
4. Coat the roast bottom and top with the rub generously.
5. Place in refrigerator for 24-36 hours. To marinate (36 hours is better).

Day of cooking

1. Pre-heat oven to 300 baking-convection mode.
2. Remove roast from pan, 2 hours before cooking to “temper” the meat.
3. Scrape off all of the remaining salt/sugar rub all over roast, top and bottom.
4. Clean pan, then place roast back onto the roasting pan.
5. Place roast in oven and cook for 40 minutes per pound, basting it with the fat and juices every 30 minutes.
6. Let roast rest for one hour. Make sure you guard the crispy skin from thieves!
7. Dig in and eat!