If you’ve only had pork shoulder when braised until shredded, it’s time to see what else the cut can do. In this summer recipe, boneless pork shoulder (also called Boston butt) is sliced into ¾" steaks that are hearty enough to stand up to an overnight marinade and a fiery stint on a hot grill. Citrus and garlic do double duty, acting as the backbone of the mojo-style marinade and dressing a fresh topping of cherry tomatoes and red onion that you’ll spoon over the cooked sliced pork. Subtly sweet and starchy grilled plantains make it a meal.
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What you’ll need
Instant-Read Thermometer
$35 At Thermoworks
Reusable Storage Bags
$55 $47 At Amazon
16" Heavy Duty Stainless Steel Utility Tongs
$9 At Amazon
Rimmed Baking Sheet
$28 At Amazon
Large Bowl
$25 At Amazon
Kunz Spoon
$30 $27 At Amazon
Recipe information
Total Time
35 minutes (plus 4 hours and 30 minutes for marinating)
Yield
4 servings
Ingredients
Pork
Plantains and Assembly
Preparation
Pork
Step 1
Combine 6 garlic cloves, finely grated, ½ cup fresh lime juice, ½ cup fresh orange juice, ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil, 1 Tbsp. ground cumin, 2 tsp. Diamond Crystal or 1¼ tsp. Morton kosher salt, and 2 tsp. dried oregano in a large resealable plastic bag. Add 2 lb. boneless pork shoulder (Boston butt), fat cap trimmed if needed, sliced crosswise ¾" thick, and seal bag; massage steaks to coat. Chill at least 4 hours and, preferably, up to 1 day. Let pork sit at room temperature 30 minutes before grilling.
Plantains and Assembly
Step 2
Toss 1 medium red onion, thinly sliced, 1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved, quartered if large, 1 garlic clove, finely grated, ¼ cup fresh lime juice, 2 Tbsp. fresh orange juice, and 1 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil in a medium bowl to combine. Season generously with kosher salt; toss again. Let tomato salad sit until ready to serve.
Step 3
Prepare a grill for medium-high heat; oil grate. Place 4 large very ripe (black) plantains, peeled, halved lengthwise, on a rimmed baking sheet and drizzle with oil; turn to coat. Season generously with kosher salt. Grill plantains until deep brown marks appear, about 3 minutes per side. Return to baking sheet.
Step 4
Remove pork from marinade, letting excess drip back into bag, and grill, turning every minute, until lightly charred and an instant-read thermometer inserted into thickest part of a steak registers 140°, 7–9 minutes. Transfer to a cutting board and let rest 5–10 minutes.
Step 5
Transfer plantains to a platter or divide among plates. Thinly slice pork against the grain and arrange alongside plantains. Drizzle any accumulated juices over tomato salad; toss to combine. Spoon salad over pork; drizzle any dressing left in bowl over. Top with cilantro leaves with tender stems and/or mint leaves and season with flaky sea salt.
