Roasted Pork Shoulder

Pork shoulder is inexpensive cut of meat that is one of the best bets when you need to feed many people or make a meal with leftovers to spare. When it’s well marinated and roasted the right amount of time, it becomes meltingly tender and deliciously flavorful. Roasting a pork shoulder takes time, but it's worth the wait.

You can serve it right away with any side dish. The leftovers can be used in different meals throughout the week. Moreover, the left over juice can be used as well: you can make a delicious sauce or gravy.

The pork shoulder is usually roasted in a large piece. The taste of the finished dish will depend on marinade you will use.

If you have time, marinate it ahead of time, wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and keep in the fridge for overnight. Otherwise you can marinate it right before roasting.

The roasting time of the pork shoulder depends on its size and the temperature in the oven. Usually it takes 1 hour to bake 1 kg of meat at 200 ° C (395 ° F), or 90 minutes at 170 ° C (340 ° F). For a bond-in piece you should add 30 minutes more.

So this recipe is for a bond-in pork shoulder which was a little less than two kilos – 4 lbs approximately.

For the marinade:

Coriander - 3 tsp.

Paprika - 3 tsp.

Thyme - 1 tsp.

Honey mustard - 2 tsp.

Garlic - 3-5 cloves

Olive oil - 2-3 tablespoons

I also used some carrots, onions and celery

Cooking instructions:

Step 1

Coarsely chop the washed and peeled onions, carrots and celery, and then transfer them into a large roasting pan. Drizzle with olive oil and shake around to coat.

Step 2

In a small bowl, mix together salt, pepper, paprika, thyme and coriander. Add minced or crushed garlic, honey mustard, olive oil and mix well.

Step 3

Using a pastry brush or a tablespoon, spread the mixture all over the pork shoulder then place it on top of the vegetables.

Step 4

Cover the pan with a lid or aluminum foil and place in a preheated oven.

Cook it for 3.5 hours at 180 ° C (350 ° F).

There is another technique for roasting pork shoulder: the first 20-30 minutes you should cook it at a high temperature of 220 ° C (425 ° F), then lower the temperature to 165 ° C (325 ° F) and continue cooking for another 4-5 hours. In this case, the meat will be even more tender.