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Slow Roasted Pork Shoulder
By Charlie Burke
Click here for printer-friendly version of this recipe
Many of my recipes call for roasting at high temperature, and this works well
with the “better” cuts of meat, which are also the most expensive, such as
tenderloin of beef and rack of lamb. I think I get more satisfaction, and usually
more flavor, from cooking less expensive parts at lower temperature, often in
some kind of braise. Meat which contains higher proportions of connective
tissue becomes very tender when slowly cooked in a moist environment
which permits the tough collagen to break down without drying the meat.
Usually, this requires at least three hours at temperatures between 325 and
350 degrees Fahrenheit.
Lately, I’ve been experimenting with much lower temperatures and longer
cooking times, some as long as twenty four hours, modifying recipes and
guidelines of Paula Wolfort and some found on the internet. . This approach
was proposed in the 1940’s by Adelle Davis, who, according to Paula Wolfort
in her book The Slow Mediterranean Kitchen* was a food authority in the
middle of the last century. She advocated cooking the meat at the same
temperature as that of the meat when done. She noted that little shrinkage
occurred, the meat was incredibly tender, and the flavor more intense than in
any conventionally prepared recipe.
Unfortunately, this approach keeps the meat in the “danger zone” of forty to
one hundred and forty degrees where bacteria thrive, so modification is
necessary. The National Restaurant Association suggests starting with high
temperature to sterilize the meat if roasting at temperatures below 325
degrees. The oven temperature is then lowered; the roast then cooks very
slowly, becoming remarkably tender and maximizing the flavor of the herbs
and aromatics in the sauce. As the temperature approaches the serving
temperature, I lower the oven to that temperature or slightly higher. Once the
serving temperature is reached, the pork can stay in a 160 - 170 degree oven
for several more hours, so timing is very flexible.
USDA inspected pork is a safe product, no longer requiring cooking to high
internal temperature, and can safely be served pink If you have concerns,
however, freezing the pork for a few weeks or buying certified pork
(previously frozen) provides further safety. Meat cooked at low temperature
should not be stuffed, and I do not yet use this technique for poultry. This
technique also works with leaner cuts which are not appropriate for braising
for shorter periods. If you have ever wondered why the roast beef at the deli
counter is pink nearly to the surface, the answer is that it is cooked at low
temperature, avoiding both shrinkage and the overcooking of the exterior
meat.
Pork shoulder with the skin on remains as
moist as any braise when roasted at low
temperature. Liquid in the roasting pan
maintains humidity in the over, while
picking up meat flavors dripping from
the meat. Herbs rubbed into the meat richly
flavor the roast over the long cooking time,
reminding me of the wonderful porchetta
served in northern Italy from a whole pig
flavored with herbs and cooked on a spit.
My next attempt will be a mock porchetta,
using rue and other herbs typical of Tuscany and the Piemonte.
Serves 8:
7-8 pound bone in pork shoulder or “Butt” with skin on
½ cup extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons chopped fresh marjoram or 1 tablespoon dry
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves or ½ tablespoon dry
2 tablespoons fresh chopped rosemary or 1 tablespoon dry
3 cloves garlic
1 tablespoon black peppercorns
1 ½ tablespoons coarse kosher or sea salt
2 carrots, coarsely chopped
1 large onion, coarsely chopped
1 celery stalk with leaves, chopped
1 cup dry white wine, such as Sauvignon Blanc
Chicken stock or water, sufficient to cover bottom of roasting pan by ¾ inch
The day before serving, wash the pork roast under running water and pat dry
with paper towels. Use a mortar and pestle or blender to grind herbs, garlic,
salt and pepper into a paste. Mix the paste into the olive oil. With a sharp
knife, score the skin and fat down to the surface of the pork. Make slices ¾
inch apart, then score across the slices at a 45 degree angle. Rub herb paste
into the scores and over all surfaces; most of the paste should be trapped in
the scored skin and fat. Let roast stand at room temperature for 2 hours.
Put chopped vegetables, wine and water or stock into a roasting pan, place
pork skin side up on a roasting rack and place into a preheated 450 degree
oven for 45 minutes or until the skin is browned and the fat is bubbling.
Reduce the heat to 200 degrees and cook for 4-5 hours. Reduce heat to 175 and
cook until temperature of the meat reads 170 degrees (12 – 14 hours). Keep the
roast in the oven until shortly before serving.
Place the roast on a platter or cutting board and cover with aluminum foil and
a dish towel. Add ½ cup of white wine, bourbon or dry sherry to the roasting
liquid and boil until alcohol has evaporated and the liquid coats a spoon.
Strain the liquid into a bowl, pressing the vegetables with a wooden spoon.
Correct the seasoning of the liquid, adding a squeeze of lemon juice if needed
to brighten the flavor.
Slice the pork across the grain into ½ inch slices, drizzle with some of the
liquid and pass the remainder in a gravy boat.
We found that this was the most tender pork we have had, and there is no
doubt that the long cooking time permeated the meat with intense flavor,
which is heightened by the pan juices. With cold weather approaching, try
this recipe on a weekend - a great way to slow down from the busy week.
*Published in 2003 by John Wiley & Sons, Hoboken, NJ
About the author:
An organic farmer and avid cook, writer Charlie Burke is the vice president of
the New Hampshire Farmer'sMarket Association, president of the NH Farm to
Restaurant Connection and helps run the Sanbornton (NH) Farmers' Market.
Along with his wife, Joanne, Charlie grows certified organic herbs, greens and
berries at Weather Hill Farm in Sanbornton, NH.
By Charlie Burke
Click here for printer-friendly version of this recipe
Many of my recipes call for roasting at high temperature, and this works well
with the “better” cuts of meat, which are also the most expensive, such as
tenderloin of beef and rack of lamb. I think I get more satisfaction, and usually
more flavor, from cooking less expensive parts at lower temperature, often in
some kind of braise. Meat which contains higher proportions of connective
tissue becomes very tender when slowly cooked in a moist environment
which permits the tough collagen to break down without drying the meat.
Usually, this requires at least three hours at temperatures between 325 and
350 degrees Fahrenheit.
Lately, I’ve been experimenting with much lower temperatures and longer
cooking times, some as long as twenty four hours, modifying recipes and
guidelines of Paula Wolfort and some found on the internet. . This approach
was proposed in the 1940’s by Adelle Davis, who, according to Paula Wolfort
in her book The Slow Mediterranean Kitchen* was a food authority in the
middle of the last century. She advocated cooking the meat at the same
temperature as that of the meat when done. She noted that little shrinkage
occurred, the meat was incredibly tender, and the flavor more intense than in
any conventionally prepared recipe.
Unfortunately, this approach keeps the meat in the “danger zone” of forty to
one hundred and forty degrees where bacteria thrive, so modification is
necessary. The National Restaurant Association suggests starting with high
temperature to sterilize the meat if roasting at temperatures below 325
degrees. The oven temperature is then lowered; the roast then cooks very
slowly, becoming remarkably tender and maximizing the flavor of the herbs
and aromatics in the sauce. As the temperature approaches the serving
temperature, I lower the oven to that temperature or slightly higher. Once the
serving temperature is reached, the pork can stay in a 160 - 170 degree oven
for several more hours, so timing is very flexible.
USDA inspected pork is a safe product, no longer requiring cooking to high
internal temperature, and can safely be served pink If you have concerns,
however, freezing the pork for a few weeks or buying certified pork
(previously frozen) provides further safety. Meat cooked at low temperature
should not be stuffed, and I do not yet use this technique for poultry. This
technique also works with leaner cuts which are not appropriate for braising
for shorter periods. If you have ever wondered why the roast beef at the deli
counter is pink nearly to the surface, the answer is that it is cooked at low
temperature, avoiding both shrinkage and the overcooking of the exterior
meat.
Pork shoulder with the skin on remains as
moist as any braise when roasted at low
temperature. Liquid in the roasting pan
maintains humidity in the over, while
picking up meat flavors dripping from
the meat. Herbs rubbed into the meat richly
flavor the roast over the long cooking time,
reminding me of the wonderful porchetta
served in northern Italy from a whole pig
flavored with herbs and cooked on a spit.
My next attempt will be a mock porchetta,
using rue and other herbs typical of Tuscany and the Piemonte.
Serves 8:
7-8 pound bone in pork shoulder or “Butt” with skin on
½ cup extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons chopped fresh marjoram or 1 tablespoon dry
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves or ½ tablespoon dry
2 tablespoons fresh chopped rosemary or 1 tablespoon dry
3 cloves garlic
1 tablespoon black peppercorns
1 ½ tablespoons coarse kosher or sea salt
2 carrots, coarsely chopped
1 large onion, coarsely chopped
1 celery stalk with leaves, chopped
1 cup dry white wine, such as Sauvignon Blanc
Chicken stock or water, sufficient to cover bottom of roasting pan by ¾ inch
The day before serving, wash the pork roast under running water and pat dry
with paper towels. Use a mortar and pestle or blender to grind herbs, garlic,
salt and pepper into a paste. Mix the paste into the olive oil. With a sharp
knife, score the skin and fat down to the surface of the pork. Make slices ¾
inch apart, then score across the slices at a 45 degree angle. Rub herb paste
into the scores and over all surfaces; most of the paste should be trapped in
the scored skin and fat. Let roast stand at room temperature for 2 hours.
Put chopped vegetables, wine and water or stock into a roasting pan, place
pork skin side up on a roasting rack and place into a preheated 450 degree
oven for 45 minutes or until the skin is browned and the fat is bubbling.
Reduce the heat to 200 degrees and cook for 4-5 hours. Reduce heat to 175 and
cook until temperature of the meat reads 170 degrees (12 – 14 hours). Keep the
roast in the oven until shortly before serving.
Place the roast on a platter or cutting board and cover with aluminum foil and
a dish towel. Add ½ cup of white wine, bourbon or dry sherry to the roasting
liquid and boil until alcohol has evaporated and the liquid coats a spoon.
Strain the liquid into a bowl, pressing the vegetables with a wooden spoon.
Correct the seasoning of the liquid, adding a squeeze of lemon juice if needed
to brighten the flavor.
Slice the pork across the grain into ½ inch slices, drizzle with some of the
liquid and pass the remainder in a gravy boat.
We found that this was the most tender pork we have had, and there is no
doubt that the long cooking time permeated the meat with intense flavor,
which is heightened by the pan juices. With cold weather approaching, try
this recipe on a weekend - a great way to slow down from the busy week.
*Published in 2003 by John Wiley & Sons, Hoboken, NJ
About the author:
An organic farmer and avid cook, writer Charlie Burke is the vice president of
the New Hampshire Farmer'sMarket Association, president of the NH Farm to
Restaurant Connection and helps run the Sanbornton (NH) Farmers' Market.
Along with his wife, Joanne, Charlie grows certified organic herbs, greens and
berries at Weather Hill Farm in Sanbornton, NH.
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