Pork roast cooked to tender

Slow Roast Herb Crusted Pork Shoulder

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There is nothing better on a winter day than the scent of this Slow Roast Herb Crusted Pork Shoulder wafting through the house. Second only to that is the delicious meals you can make from the leftovers!

Roasted Pork

Why I Love My Slow Roast Herb Crusted Pork Shoulder

Slow-roasting a pork shoulder is one of the easiest and most delicious meals you can create, which takes minimal effort. It simply needs time to develop a deep, comforting flavor and silky, tender meat. The one caveat to this recipe is a little forethought. I don’t always remember the day before, but if you plan 24 hours prior, you will have the tastiest roast. Have no fear…if at the bare minimum, you start early the day of (morning is ideal), you will still have a delicious and succulent roast.

Cooking Method

It’s as easy as slathering with your herb paste, seasoning well, and throwing it in a 325°F oven, covered with aluminum foil for the first 2 hours. Remove the foil, raise the heat to 425°F, and finish cooking for an additional 45 minutes to 1 hour. The top should be nicely burnished, crispy, and the meat should still be juicy and very tender. Some like to take their roast to fall apart just looking at it! I prefer a bit of texture left in my meat, so you should be able to transfer this to a platter, but easily be divided into chunks with a pair of tongs or shredded apart with a fork.

Roasted pork step by step

Make It Your Own

  • Swap out cilantro for parsley
  • Replace the grainy mustard with yellow mustard or omit altogether
  • Use orange instead of lemon
  • Add in any spice of your choosing
  • Add a serrano or jalapeno

Things You Need From Your Pantry

  • Grainy mustard
  • White distilled vinegar
  • White wine, optional
  • White onion
  • Garlic
  • Canned cannellini beans

Things You May Need To Grab From The Store

  • 3-4 pound pork shoulder
  • Green onions
  • Lemons
  • Canned cannellini beans
  • Lacinato kale

More cozy weather ideas

Slow Roast Herb Crusted Pork Shoulder
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Slow Roast Herb Crusted Pork Shoulder

Recipe by Chef JenCourse: DinnerCuisine: AmericanDifficulty: Easy
Servings

8

servings
Prep time

30

minutes
Cooking time

3

hours 

30

minutes

Lucious, silky roasted pork shoulder, slathered in herby goodness over a bed of kale and cannellini beans loaded with garlic confit. Divine!

Ingredients

  • Slow Roast Herb Crusted Pork Shoulder

  • 1 large bunch cilantro

  • 1 bunch green onions

  • 1 head garlic

  • 1/4 cup grainy mustard

  • 1 cup white wine, divided

  • 2 Tablespoons distilled white vinegar

  • Zest of 1 lemon, reserve juice for kale and beans

  • 3 – 4 lb bone-in pork shoulder

  • 1 tsp per lb of pork – Kosher salt (a 3 lb pork needs 3 tsps or 1 Tbsp)

  • Freshly cracked black pepper

  • 1 white onion

  • Sauteed Kale and White Beans with Garlic Confit

  • 1 head garlic

  • 1 cup extra virgin olive oil

  • 1 head of lacinato kale (dino-kale, Tuscan kale, cavolo nero)

  • 1 – 14 oz can cannellini beans

  • 1 tsp kosher salt

  • Reserved juice of 1 lemon

Directions

  • For the Slow Roast Herb Crusted Pork Shoulder
  • Prepare and marinate the pork roast up to 24 hours ahead: cut off about 1 inch of the woody stems of cilantro, roughly chop, including the tender stems. Cut the green onions into roughly 2-inch pieces. Peel the head of garlic. Add all to the bowl of a food processor along with the mustard, 1/4 cup of wine, vinegar, and lemon zest. Process until you have a paste-like consistency with no large chunks.
  • Place the pork shoulder in a large bowl and season with the salt and a generous amount of freshly cracked black pepper. Massage the salt and pepper into the pork all over. Add the herby paste and rub all over. Peel the onion and cut into 1/2 in rounds. Place the onion in a shallow heavy-bottom pan or baking dish. Set the herb-rubbed pork shoulder on top, fat side up. Make sure there is an even layer of paste on the top. At this point, you can marinate for 2-24 hours in the refrigerator, or roast straight away.
  • When ready to cook, preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Pour the remaining 3/4 cup of white wine into the pan with the roast. Place in the oven and cook for 3 hours until it reaches an internal temperature of 180-190 degrees. Remove from the oven and raise the oven temperature to 450 degrees. Return to the oven for 20-30 minutes until the top is crisp and deeply golden brown. Remove from the oven and let rest for 30 minutes, up to 1 hour.
  • For the Sauteed Kale and White Beans with Garlic Confit
  • While the pork is roasting, make garlic confit: peel the head of garlic and place it in a small saucepan. Cover with extra virgin olive oil. Place over low heat on the stove and cook gently until the garlic cloves are soft and golden brown. You do not want them to get dark and burn. Remove the garlic cloves from the oil. Reserve the oil for garnishing, and mash the garlic cloves in a small bowl. Set aside.
  • While the pork is resting, prepare the Kale and white beans: Remove the kale leaves from the woody stems, and cut the kale into 1-inch ribbons. In a large saute pan, set over medium-high heat, add 1 Tbsp of the reserved garlic oil. Add the kale ribbons in batches, seasoning with salt at each addition. Toss each addition to coat in the oil. Add the roasted garlic to the pan and toss to combine. Cook the kale and garlic for 2-3 minutes until the garlic wilts and softens. Drain the can of cannellini beans and add to the pan. Stir to combine. Cook for another 2 minutes until the beans are heated through. Taste for seasoning and add more salt if desired. Add the lemon juice and stir.
  • To Serve
  • Gently pull off chunks of pork shoulder or slice the roast, allowing it to gently fall apart. Serve on top of a bed of the Sauteed Kale and White Beans. Drizzle with some of the reserved garlic oil, and save any pan drippings for stock or soup later.