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Can use your help on this one!

Making CI's Cuban Pork Roast on Friday for a crowd. CI's recipe calls for a 7-8 lb bone-in skin on picnic shoulder. The roast is brined for up to 24 hrs in an orange-garlicy solution. After it is removed, it is rubbed with a garlic-citrus-spice paste and roasted in the oven at 325 degrees. It is removed when the roast comes to 190 degrees, which they say should be after 6 hours and then allowed to rest for one hour.

I'd love some input on two or three questions:

I have the right cut of meat but its a bit over 10 lbs, not 7-8 lbs. as indicated in the recipe. Given the extra weight (2-3 lbs), how long should it be in the oven? I'm assuming that the adjustment is made proportionally (it's about 25% heavier than the recipe states, therefore should go in about 25% longer) but 8 hours (plus an hour rest) seems like an awfully long time to me. Is 8 hours in the oven plus maybe a 75 minute rest sounding right to you?

I want the roast to be taken out of the oven at 8:15 (at the latest) so I can serve it by 9:30. Since there is no guarantee that it will come to 190 degrees exactly at 6 hours (or whatever the adjusted time is), what time do you think I should put it in the oven?

Finally, I'm assuming that if it is done say at 7 and then rests until 8:15, that I can tent it with foil and keep it in a low oven (175 degrees) for another hour or so. Does this sound right?

Thanks so much for your help!
Gerard

Pork butt can take a notoriously long time to get past 160 degrees (or so). When I smoke a butt, it sometimes takes hours for it to get past that magical point. But, as you're roasting (i.e., higher temp than smoking) it won't be such an issue. I'd allow the extra time you've noted, but I also wouldn't sweat it too much. Once you've roasted and rested it will hold in a low temp oven for quite a while. Better to get it cooking earlier rather than later. You'll be fine.

Amy

What Amy said. We did 4 (9 lb.) pork butts for our shindig, and they were either on the grill or in a low oven for a total time of nearly 10 hours, and they probably could have stood another hour.

So stick them in the oven before you go to bed, then check them in the morning.

Gerard, as much as I love CI, I think when it comes to Cuban Recipes, they don't get it right. I don't think their roast is as good as my family's recipe. You can find mine here. I encourage you to check it out. The flavor comes from the long marinade, but it is just one step, not two as CI's. Plus, you put the whole thing in the oven without having to do any extra prep. I prefer to have mine boned for cutting ease (no flavor lost), but I use the hours per lbs. in the Joy of Cooking to convert if I do use boned. I can look that up for you if you need it.

Thanks for all the helpful responses!

Alina - your recipe looks excellent but with a boned roast and only one day to marinate, I think I'm going to take a chance with the CI recipe. I should have consulted you guys earlier! The good news is that I have another get together in about a month and I'll make your recipe then (totally different crowd). It'll give me time to get that orange juice that you mentioned. Thanks so much! Oh - and in the mean time - I would love to have the Joy of Cooking (per lb) cooking times. That would be great!

So, I think I'm going to put the roast in some time in the morning - maybe around 10-11. That'll give it up to 10 hours in the oven and an additional 75 minutes on the counter.

I'll have a thermometer measuring the temperature so if it's getting somewhat close to 6 or 7 and the meat is not close enough to 190, I can crank up the heat by 25 degerees. And if it gets done early, it can just sit on the counter - and get reheated closer to dinner time.

Thanks so much!

Gerard

On the winding road to a perfectly cooked picnic shoulder, I believe that any speeding is better at the beginning of the trip and not when you are nearing your destination. It is important to let the roast take its time from 140º to 190º and I like to be in a situation where I am turning the oven down at the end rather than cranking it.

Thanks for all of your help! The roast turned out beautifully. The skin was beautifully darkend and crisp. I'm eager to use this cut of meat again as an entre since it's so simple and great for entertaining (as well as inexpensive). Definitely want to make the more authentic Cuban roast noted above. A tropical salsa on the side definitely brightened up the plate and made the meal more appropriate for the summer.

I put the roast in at 10, came out at around 6-6:30 (it turned out to be about 10.5 lbs), and held it (tented) for about 3.5 hours on the counter. Even after that long weight, it was still warm. You guys were right with how slowly it goes after around 150 degrees or so. Jim, I took your advice and turned the heat down towards the end so that it would stay in the target zone a bit longer. The meat was really tender, and talk about falling off the bone!

Thanks as always for your help.

Gerard