Pork Shoulder with Salsa Verde

It seems as if everyone is looking for the most economical meals possible. Every e-mail newsletter I get from the various foodie outlets seems to be concentrating on that. Of course, I've always looked for those kinds of opportunities. There's no reason that the Life Should Be Beautiful life should be complicated or expensive.

Here's a recipe that I prepared this afternoon. It's really quite simple, and the results are delicious. The piquant sauce cuts right through the richness of the meat. I cut the huge roast (15 pounds!) I had in two and shared the plentiful final product with some neighbors and my parents. After a couple of sandwiches made with the leftovers, I figure that this cost about a buck a serving. Economical indeed.

If you're not serving lamb, this would be a great feast for your Easter gathering.

Pork Shoulder with Salsa Verde
From Bon Appetit.
Makes 6 to 8 servings.

Salsa Verde:
3 anchovy fillets (or substitute 3 teaspoons of anchovy paste...always a good ingredient to have in your pantry)
1 garlic clove, peeled
3/4 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley
1/3 cup (lightly packed) chopped fresh celery leaves (I have to confess I left these out and just increased the amount of parsley I used.)
1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon finely grated lemon peel
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary
1 1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh sage (ended up using plain old rubbed sage here)
1/2 cup olive oil

With small food processor running, drop anchovies and garlic through feed tube and finely chop. Scrape down sides of bowl.

Add parsley, celery leaves, lemon juice, lemon peel, red wine vinegar, chopped rosemary, and chopped sage. Using on/off turns, process until almost smooth. With machine running, gradually add olive oil.

Transfer salsa verde to bowl. Season with salt and pepper. NOTE: Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate.

Pork Shoulder:
6 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons chopped fresh sage
2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary
1 tablespoon coarse kosher salt
2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 8-pound whole bone-in heritage pork shoulder roast (Boston butt)

Position rack in lowest third of oven; preheat to 450°F.

Mix garlic, sage, rosemary, coarse kosher salt, and freshly ground black pepper in small bowl. Brush oil all over pork, then rub spice mixture all over.

Place pork on rack set in roasting pan. Roast 20 minutes. Reduce heat to 300°F and continue to roast until instant read thermometer inserted into center registers 185°F, about 6 1/2 hours.

Remove pork from oven; tent with foil to keep warm. Let rest 15 minutes. Cut into 1/2-inch-thick pieces and serve with salsa verde alongside.