Roasted Pork Shoulder

Prep Time: 25 minutes
Cook Time: 2 hours 25 minutes
Total Time: 2 hours 50 minutes
Servings: 8 people

Imagine sinking your teeth into a mouthwatering Roasted Pork Shoulder, slow-roasted to perfection and infused with the delightful flavors of orange and balsamic vinegar. But wait, I haven’t revealed the secret that makes it truly exceptional. It’s all about the brine! That’s right—this oven-roasted pork shoulder gets a good soak overnight in a flavorful brine. This process ensures that every bite is tender and seasoned all the way through.

This little trick makes a world of difference, especially since pork can often turn dry when baked. The brine works its magic by locking in moisture, keeping the meat juicy and soft.

Ingredients:

2,2 kg pound Pork Shoulder Boneless
4 sprigs of thyme
4 sprigs of sage
120 ml red wine
1 orange juiced don't discard the cups
2 tablespoons Balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon honey
60 ml fresh orange juice

For The Brine:

1 liter lukewarm water
750 ml white wine
4 tablespoons kosher salt
6 allspice berries
6 cloves
5 bay leaves
7 peppercorns
1 stick of cinnamon
3 sprigs of thyme

For The Rub:

20 grams Grape molasses (or molasses)
1 teaspoon Balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon ground allspice
½ teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon mustard powder
1 teaspoon dried marjoram or thyme instead

For The Potatoes (optional):

850 grams potatoes peeled and cut into 5 cm pieces (2-inch)
1 teaspoon dried marjoram

Directions:

Remove the pork from the brine. Pat it dry with paper towels.
Preheat oven to 160°C.
Place the pork in a roasting pan if it has a rack place it on the rack. If using a plain pan that's okay too.
Combine all of the ingredients for the rub in a small bowl. Then rub it all over the top surface and sides of the meat.
Add the sprigs of thyme, sage, and orange cups to the pan.
Pour the red wine and orange juice into the pan.
Cover by putting the lid on (if using a roasting pan with a lid), or cover with a big piece of parchment paper and then secure it with a piece or two of aluminum foil on top. Make sure it's closed well on the sides.
Bake for 2 hours.
Prepare The Potatoes: meanwhile, if you wish to add potatoes as well, boil them in some salted water for 10 minutes. Then remove them with a slotted spoon and set them aside in a bowl.
Remove the pan from the oven without uncovering it.
Raise the oven's temperature to 220°C. Wait for 10 minutes.
Uncover the pork. Carefully drain most of the liquid from the pan into a bowl. Leaving only a very thin layer just enough to cover the surface of the pan.
Add the potatoes all around the pork. If using a roasting pan with a rack place the potatoes underneath the rack.
Skim off some fat that has risen on the surface of the pork liquid you just drained.
Drizzle the fat over the potatoes. About 6-7 tablespoons of it.
Season the potatoes very lightly with table salt, pepper, and 1 teaspoon of dried marjoram.
Add back in the oven and roast for 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a small bowl mix together the 2 tablespoons of Balsamic vinegar, 1 tablespoon of honey, and 55 ml of fresh orange juice.
Remove the pan from the oven.
Drizzle ½ of the mixture all over the pork.
Place the pan back in the oven.
Roast for 6 minutes more.
Remove the pan from the oven once more and drizzle the meat with the remaining ½ of the mixture.
Roast for 6 minutes more. Then remove the pan from the oven.
Carefully transfer the pork shoulder to a serving plate using two large spatulas. Or use the parchment paper and aluminum foil cover to gently grab hold of it and transfer it. And then use it to cover the meat again.
Rest the meat for 30 minutes.
Drop the oven's temperature to 200°C / 392°F.
Place the pan with the potatoes back in the oven and roast the potatoes until nice and crispy on the edges. If you wish, toss and squeeze them with a spatula to make them even crisper.
Cut thin slices of the pork and serve along with the potatoes and enjoy!
This red wine sauce goes great with this dish making it even more festive!

Tips & Notes:

You can toast the seasonings for the brine in a frying pan before adding them to the brine. This will enhance their aromas.
Do not discard the parchment paper and aluminum foil cover.
If you didn't add the potatoes there's no need to transfer the meat. Simply cover the meat inside the pan.
Due to the cooking method and basting, this oven-slow-roasted pork doesn't get crispy on top.
Slow Cooking: Slowly cooking pork shoulder in oven covered, is the best way to cook pork shoulder. Because it ensures the meat gets tender on the inside before roasting its outer skin. Plus, when you cover the meat all the flavors you add to the pan are trapped inside. And by slow-cooking they have the time to penetrate into the meat.
To slow-cook pork shoulder in oven use either a roasting pan with a lid or use a plain pan with a cover. To cover the pan if it doesn't have a lid simply use some parchment paper and aluminum foil on top.
Then allow it to cook slowly at a low temperature for a couple of hours before uncovering the meat and roasting it.
How Long To Cook Pork Shoulder In Oven: Cooking time depends on the weight of the meat. For this recipe, we use a 2 kg piece of meat and bake it for 2 hours & 25 minutes of roasting.
If you are planning on using a bigger piece of meat you will need to adjust the cooking time.
For every extra kilogram 1 kilogram of meat add about 30 minutes extra baking time. Uncovered roasting time remains the same.