“I come from Eastern North Carolina, the world’s epicenter for pork barbecue (not up for debate ’cause this is my book). Still, I’ve never cooked a whole hog at home and I frown at the prospect of fiddling with the temperature of a grill for long periods of time just to achieve the perfect piece of smoked butt. That kind of thing is really for barbecue enthusiasts and I consider myself more of a connoisseur of other people’s efforts. So when I want the flavor of smoke, vinegar, and pig, I turn to the oven and my bag of tricks.
Smoked paprika, cayenne, time, vinegar, and a coating of caramelized onions lend this roast a lot of the qualities you’ll find in legit ENC-style BBQ. The onions themselves go from sweet and deep to charred and earthy and are what sets this apart from just another slow-roasted pork butt. As with true barbecue, the sum is far greater than its parts.”—Vivian Howard in her new book, This Will Make It Taste Good
