Timings For BBQ Pork Butt

Our answer

Nigella's Barbecuey Pork Butt (from SIMPLY NIGELLA) is a slow roasted pork shoulder (called a "pork butt" in the US) that is slathered in barbecue spices. The recipe uses a 2kg piece of pork and gives a coooking time of up to 18 hours.

One of the marvellous things about this cut of pork is that it has a good proportion of fat so can cope with long, slow cooking times. The pork is cooked until the fat is rendered and the meat it falls apart and the oven temperature is so low that the meat is unlikely to dry out even if the size is smaller than that specified. However it will be ready slightly earlier than larger pieces of meat and we would suggest for the 1kg shoulders that you use the same oven temperatures but aim for the shorter end of the suggested time range, which would be 12 hours. You may also like to try Nigella's Slow Roast Pork Belly, which is cooked in a similar way and is flavoured with soy sauce and sesame.