Pork roast recipe | Slow roasted pork shoulder | Jamie Oliver (2024)

FAQs

Is pork shoulder the same as pork shoulder roast? ›

Most of us know pork shoulder for its famous finished product: pulled pork. Pork shoulder goes by several names at the grocery store including picnic roast, Boston butt, blade roast, and pork butt. Common cooking methods for pork shoulder include braising, smoking, roasting, grilling, and slow cooking.

Pork shoulder benefits from long, slow cooking that tenderizes the meat and melts the fat. The best cooking methods for pork shoulder are braising or stewing, but it may also be fried, baked, or made into ground pork.

Sear it good. This is an optional step, but if you have the time, adds a lot of flavor. Heat a little oil in a large skillet or your Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Sear the pork heavily on all sides until golden brown.

Cook in the oven with the pork for 1 hour 10 minutes, or until soft. Remove the pork, potatoes and fruit from the oven. Cover the pork with tin foil and leave to rest for at least 30 minutes while you make the crackling.

Pork shoulder is our cut of choice when making a pork roast that calls for crackling-crisp skin (such as our Cuban-Style Oven-Roasted Pork), since the cut is sold with the skin on.

Pork shoulder is ideal for pulling purposes. It has an optimum fat content that yields to create tender, melty meat, but it's essential you cook it slowly to allow the protein to break down properly. Take it out of the oven too early and you may as well dine on a pair of wellies.

Unlike the more lean tenderloin and chops, pork shoulder is an incredibly forgiving cut of meat. It becomes more tender as it cooks and benefits from a lengthy cook time, so even if it stays on the heat a few minutes too long, you won't suddenly end up with something dry or rubbery.

Cook 30 minutes per pound total, or until the internal temperature as measured with a meat thermometer is 160° F. Remove the pork from the oven and allow to rest 15 minutes before carving, discard onions.

Tenting can be suitable for some cuts of meat, but if you want a crunchy crust on your roast, then it's best to leave it uncovered. If you notice that the roasted pork is browning too much, you can lightly cover it with aluminum foil. However, do not cover it for the last 5-10 minutes in the oven.

Prepare Pork for Roasting

Dry skin – Pat skin dry using a paper towel; Season flesh – Season the flesh sides of the pork with salt, pepper and optional fennel, with a drizzle of oil; Salt skin – On the skin side, drizzle with oil then sprinkle evenly with salt.

Do you season pork roast before searing? ›

Preparing a pork roast

Rub the outside of the roast with seasonings as desired. Place the roast in a large oven-proof Dutch oven or roasting pan. Preheat the oven to 450°F (230°C). Sear the roast by placing it, uncovered, in the oven for 20-25 minutes.

Pork leg and loin joints are excellent roasting joints with lean meat and good crackling, and a rack of pork is an impressive looking roast. If you prefer something richer, then shoulder joints and pork belly are ideal. They have a higher fat content that renders down during cooking to give lovely tender meat.

“Searing meat adds flavorful crust, but it has nothing to do with juiciness,” they write. This recipe is seared first, making for a nicely browned and crisp crust. The outside of the meat is seasoned with a rub that also flavors a simple pan sauce made with sherry. Let the roast rest before carving.

Using a pestle and mortar, bash the coriander seeds, peppercorns and 2 teaspoons of sea salt until fine. Add the bay leaves and bash again, followed by a good glug of olive oil to form a loose paste. Rub the paste into the pork, making sure you get it into all the nooks and crannies.

Pork shoulder, which can also be labeled as picnic shoulder, comes from the thinner, triangle-shaped end of the pig's shoulder, just above the front leg. It has less marbling and fat than pork butt. Pork shoulder is often sold with the skin on and a layer of fat.

It's a versatile and economical cut that takes deliciously to roasting, braising, stewing, and slow cooking. Low, moist heat turns the meat so tender and succulent, it just falls away from the bone and practically melts in the mouth. In the U.S., pork shoulder is the perfect pick for pulled pork.

Pork Rib Roasts are called pork center loin roasts or even sold as "pork roast" when the ribs are removed. They are fattier than pork tenderloin but still fairly lean. They are extremely juicy and flavorful. For a juicy roast, cook it with the slab of fat that comes on it still attached, and carve it off after cooking.

Shoulder (spare rib)

It has a really excellent flavour, as meat from nearer the head of the pig is always more succulent, with a little more fat to keep it moist. The skin is dry with a reasonable layer of fat underneath, making this one of the best joints to get good crackling from. Search our pork shoulder recipes.