Whole Roast Boar

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons light brown sugar
• 3 tablespoons kosher salt
• 1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 8-pound whole bone-in pork butt (also known as shoulder butt), skinned, with fat cap attached
• 2 to 3 cups water, plus more as needed

Instructions

1. In a small bowl, combine the brown sugar, salt, and pepper and whisk to blend. Using a very sharp knife, cut slits about 1 inch apart in a crosshatch pattern across the entire fat cap of the pork, taking care to cut all the way through the layer of fat, but not into the meat beneath it. Sprinkle the brown sugar-salt mixture all over the pork, making sure to rub it into the slits. Wrap the meat tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 12 hours or up to 24 hours.
2. With a rack in the lowest position, preheat the oven to 325°F. Coat a roasting rack with nonstick cooking spray and set it in a large roasting pan.
3. Unwrap the pork and, with paper towels, blot the surface dry and remove any excess salt mixture if it hasn't completely dissolved. Place the pork on the prepared roasting rack, fat cap-side up, and pour the water into the pan, making sure it does not touch the bottom of the pork. Roast until the pork is very tender (a paring knife should slip in and out of the meat very easily) and the meat near the bone (but not touching it) registers 190°F on an instant-read thermometer, about 5 hours, checking once or twice on the water level in the roasting pan. If there is less than ¾ cup, add more. Transfer the pork to a platter or carving board, cover loosely with aluminum foil, and let rest for 30 minutes. Pour the liquid from the roasting pan into a fat separator or a narrow, heatproof container, and allow it to settle for 10 minutes. Set aside 2 tablespoons of the fat for the sauce and discard the rest.
4. If desired, make extra-crisp cracklings by raising the oven temperature to 475°F and returning the rested pork to the roasting pan, fat cap-side up. Roast until the cracklings are dark, blistered, and crisp, 8 to 10 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through. Return the pork to the platter or carving board, cover loosely with foil, and let rest for 15 minutes longer.
5. Cut the pork into thick slices, or using a fork, gently pull apart into small chunks. Arrange on a serving platter and cover with foil until the sauce is finished.
6. Serve the pork and sauce together.