A simple, flavorful Easter entree

Planning a holiday menu is a high point on the culinary calendar. The days leading up to Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year’s, Easter, Mother’s Day and other special occasions often have food fans dreaming about and preparing scads of memorable dishes–just for the sake of ensuring guests are happy and well-fed. Easter, I think, is particularly fun because it’s less defined than other holidays. In our family’s case, the last several years have seen fried chicken, lamb, crown roast of pork, pork butt, baby back ribs, boiled crawfish and fried catfish all playing the part of main course, with a range of side dishes depending on the meal’s overall vibe. Easter delivers casual, picnic-style menus as easily as it does sit-down elegance.

This year, I like the idea of big flavors simply prepared, so I’m opting for oven-roasted pork butt finished on the grill. There’s no easier way of preparing a large hunk of meat, especially one that is faithfully tender. Place a pork butt fat side up in a large roaster and season well with salt and pepper or a rub of your choice. It’s certainly fine to inject it, or stuff if full of garlic, but I usually opt for salt and pepper and put my energy into homemade barbecue sauce. Roast overnight at 250 degrees Farenheit until the fat is nicely browned and meat falls away with the tug of a fork. Finish on a grill with hickory chips (or not) to impart another layer of flavor.

While this less expensive cut of meat absolutely lends itself to homey sides like baked beans, Cole slaw and deviled eggs, it’s also a terrific mate with roasted asparagus, parsnip puree and corn timbales (see last week’s blog for recipe). Best of all, pork butt converts to terrific leftovers, like roast pork sandwiches with melted Swiss cheese and pepper jelly; or roast pork, corn and avocado tostados. That is, if there’s any left.