Vinegar and Herb Pork Butt Is the Bright Dish You Need

If you caught me on Dr Oz today you’ll have seen me demo’ing a recipe for pork butt in a segment on the best cheap cuts of meat. And while it’s true that pork butt is one of the best values it also happens to be one of the most flavorful cuts around. It just requires a bit of low and slow cooking, although the prep is as easy as could be - or if you are a fan of the instant pot it is even easier,since you could make it in less than an hour.

But this recipe is packed with flavor - lots of herbs and lots of vinegar make a bright delight ready to take on any occasion.

Vinegar and Herb Pork Butt 

Ingredients
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 chopped large onion
4 cloves chopped garlic
2 pounds pork butt
Dash of salt
1 cup cider vinegar
1/4 cup molasses
1 cup water
2 cups chopped fresh herbs (cilantro, parsley, oregano and chives are a good mix), divided

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees (if using oven).

In a Dutch oven or large pot over medium high heat, add the olive oil, onion and garlic and cook for 5 minutes or until soft and starting to brown. Cut the pork butt into large pieces and then generously salt on all sides. Place the pork butt in the pot. Let brown for approximately 5 minutes, turning once to brown an alternate side of the meat. Add the cider vinegar, molasses, water and the herbs (but reserve a little on the side to sprinkle on top at the end). Stir together.

Place the pork in the oven and for 3 to 4 hours, depending on the your desired tenderness. You can stir once or twice if the liquid does not cover the meat. Alternately, you can place the mixture into a pressure cooker for approximately an hour. 

Remove from the oven or pressure cooker and place into a bowl (if you have excess liquid left over you can either discard it or reduce it for a sauce). Sprinkle the remaining herbs on top and add additional salt as needed.