Oh, how I looked forward to Sunday dinner when my mom would roast a fresh pork shoulder! I didn’t know then that it’s such an economical cut of meat and easy to do – I just waited with anticipation while the house filled with the tantalizing aromas of rosemary, garlic and roasting meat. While the “crisp” may be my favorite part to this day, the meat itself is so juicy and tender it’s hard to really say.
My mother never brined the shoulder, but that simple process makes the roast even more succulent and delicious! Just use equal parts kosher salt and brown sugar (1/2 cup each for 6-7 # roast), add a bay leaf, water and submerge the meat. Cover and leave for a day or two, rinse it off, pat dry and proceed to give it a good massage with a garlic-rosemary rub!
Ingredients for Garlic and Rosemary Pork Roast Rub:
4 large cloves of garlic, minced
1 tablespoon crushed rosemary
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 + tablespoon olive oil
Combine the minced garlic, kosher salt, crushed rosemary, salt and pepper in a mortar and pound together with a pestle.
Add the olive oil to form a thick paste. Alternatively, combine the ingredients on a cutting board, mix and chop together with your knife, place in a bowl and add the olive oil to form a wet paste.
Place the roast in a roasting pan and score the fat layer in two directions (create a large diamond pattern) just down to, but not in, the meat. A few slices in each direction will do the trick.
Poke the wet rub in between the cuts and all over the rest of the roast. Sprinkle a bit more kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Put the roast into a preheated 450 degree oven for one half hour. The higher temperature for the first half hour helps to sear the roast, develops a nice crust and sets up the fat layer to get crispy.
After that half an hour, turn the temp down to 350, and enjoy the smell of the roast cooking for the next 3 to 3 1/2 hours. For a six pound roast, you can safely figure 30 minutes per pound, or set a digital thermometer for 160 to 170 degrees Fahrenheit. This will give you enough texture and tenderness to serve the roast sliced, and also enough “fall off the bone” doneness to pull it when done or for leftovers.
This cut is very economical, easy to prepare, delicious, and versatile. One day it is a dinner roast fit for the best company or family dinner, and the next it can be “pulled” for amazing sandwiches or used in countless recipes ranging from Asian stir-frys to Rice and Beans.
AHHH! My favorite part – the crispy-chewy fat layer…AKA Crisp.
Ideas for roast pork leftovers:
-
Thin slices tossed in hoisin sauce stir-fried with vegetables.
-
Diced with turmeric flavored rice with bean, onion and green pepper sauce
-
HASH! Chop up some roasted potato, carrot, other root vegetables with diced pork and fry.
-
Mushroom and Pork cream sauce served in puff pastry shells (easy with store-bought puff-pastry shells)
Timeless Gourmet
Recent Comments