Roasted Pork Shoulder

This recipe is for Roasted Pork Shoulder. The recipe itself is very easy and straight forward. The cook time is the part you need to plan for. It roasts for at least 10 hours, though it can go longer.

I keep this recipe basic because, quite frankly, there are so many uses for this pork after its cooked. I have created some recipes around some of my favorite ways to eat this style pork, such as Pork (Carnitas) Tacos, Breakfast Burrito, and BBQ Pulled Pork. I don’t make 5 pounds of BBQ Pulled Pork because I don’t want to eat 5 pounds of BBQ Pulled Pork. If I were to make an apple braised pork shoulder, I might be able to get away with using leftovers for BBQ Pulled Pork, but the flavor won’t work for the Tacos and Burrito. Therefore, I like keeping this simple. You can also buy a smaller or bigger roast depending on your needs.

Some ingredient notes:

Pork: I used a bone-in pork shoulder (pork butt, or boston butt are the same thing). Honestly, just get a big one and plan to freeze extras.

Spices: If you don’t like spices, just use salt. When I cook for my mom, I only use salt and it still turns out fine. Feel free to get creative if you do like spices. I like smoked paprika because it adds that smokey flavor that I miss because I don’t own a smoker. I think a chipotle pepper would also be tasty. If you like a little heat, feel free to add some cayenne.

If you are interested in spices that aren’t from the supermarket, please try Penzey’s Spices. This is a link. (Not Affiliate Outside Link) I just truly love buying from this company and the quality of the spices, extracts, and hot chocolate that they make. My family and I have been shopping there for years. Galena Street Spice Blend would also be tasty for this recipe.

Cooking Notes: The intent of cooking this type of meat is a low and slow method. I have used the oven at 250F Degrees for about 10 hours. I have also used a slow-cooker for also about 10 hours. Don’t leave the oven on all day if you’re not home. I’ve done it overnight before and that’s worked out well, too.

Always cook with the fat side up. Don’t cut the fat off before you cook it.

When I use the oven, I cover the roasting pan (or 13x9 inch cake pan) with foil. Then when the pork is in the final 30-45 minutes, I take the foil off and bump up the oven temperative to 450F Degrees to crisp up the fat on top. This part is optional, I suppose, but it does add something to the pork, in my opinion. Go with what feels right for you.

Freezing Notes: Once you shred the pork, you can divide it into freezer bags (don’t forget to label and date the bags). Then freeze what you’re not planning to eat right away until you’re ready to try a different recipe.

Yield: 10

Author: Kari Moore - Begrudgingly Gluten Free

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Roasted Pork Shoulder

Simple Roasted Pork Shoulder that is good as it is and great for other recipes.

Prep time: 10 MinCook time: 10 HourInactive time: 30 MinTotal time: 10 H & 40 M

Ingredients

• 7 LB. Pork Shoulder (Boston Butt/Pork Butt)
• 2 T. Salt
• 2 T. Smoked Paprika
• 1 T. Granulated Garlic
• 2 t. Ground Black Pepper
• 1/2 t. Cayenne Pepper (optional)

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 250F Degrees.
2. Remove Pork from refrigerator and let come to room temperature (30 minutes or so).
3. Wash pork and dry lightly with paper towels. Place in a 13" x 9" cake pan or a roasting pan. Whichever is fine.
4. In a small bowl, combine the Salt, Paprika, Garlic, and Pepper. Mix to combine.
5. Take the spice mixture and rub all over the pork. Leave the roast fat side up.
6. Cover pan with Aluminum foil.
7. Place pork in oven. Roast for 10-12 Hours.
8. About 45 minutes before the end of cooking, remove the foil, and bump up the oven temperature to 425F.
9. Cook the pork for roughly 35-45 minutes. Remove from oven once the outside of the roast has a nice caramel color.
10. Pull pork from oven. Let rest for about 20-30 minutes.
11. At this point, remove the bone and pull the pork apart with 2 forks. If the pork has trouble pulling apart or you have trouble removing the bone, the pork needs to cook longer. You may choose to remove as much of the visible fat from the pork OR you may leave it for extra flavor. Serve.
12. OR you may place the pork in the fridge and pull the pork after it cools. Same instruction for fat removal applies here as well.
13. With the pork, you may want to consider dividing the pork into quart size bags and freezing the pulled pork. My suggestion is to leave it plain, so that you may have more options for what to do with it later when you defrost it.