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🤍 Recipe Highlights
I have summarised everything that you will come to know and love (LOVE ❤) about the pork shoulder roast recipe in the points below:
- Basic ingredients: we use very simple ingredients to cook the pork shoulder. From a little bit of salt and pepper, garlic and onion powders to olive oil. Nothing about the combination over does it and many of these ingredients are pantry staples that you may already have on hand!
- Easy recipe: as much as everyone loves a pork roast, it can be thought of as confusing or difficult to make. I am here to let you know that is not the case! The oven temperature is key and we achieve that by using a combination of very hot heat and moderate heat. The higher temperature is how we achieve crispy crackling. All in all though this is a very easy recipe to bring together.
- Family friendly: spend a rainy Sunday roasting your pork shoulder knowing that the whole family will be sitting around the table enjoying it for dinner! This simple pork shoulder offers a great recipe that everyone of all ages from young to young at heart will love!
- Weekend special: one of the best things about the weekends are that they give us more time to cook than the Monday to Friday week does. So you can relax and delight in cooking this boneless pork shoulder roast knowing that you have time for it. The recipe is one that makes the weekends something to look forward to.
- Taste and texture: from the juicy roast pork meat to the crispy salty crackling there is a lot to love about this roast pork shoulder. It is a flavor packed recipe with a diverse range of textures and it offers all this from the comfort of home!
🥗 Ingredients
The photo below is to show you everything you need to make the easy roast pork shoulder recipe. Please refer to the printable recipe card for specific ingredient measurements as well as detailed instructions.
As you can see the recipe calls for:
- Salt and pepper: we use salt and a little bit of black pepper to season the pork before we cook it. We then use additional salt (not pictured) rubbed into the skin to make the crackling.
- Garlic powder: along with the salt and pepper we use garlic powder and onion powder rubbed into the pork before it is roasted.
- Onion powder: as above. One thing to keep in mind with these 2 dried powders is that they can dry out if not used for a while, so check your bottle to save a mid cook trip to the shops!
- Olive oil: most types can be used. However, extra virgin olive oil should be avoided if using a non stick baking pan as it can ruin the pan surface.
- Pork shoulder: the pork you see in the photo above is boneless pork shoulder. You can purchase it from the grocery store or butcher. Whilst the grocery store is cheaper, you might find the meat has random score marks, whilst meat from the butcher won’t. You can opt for whichever suits you the most 😄👍. It is a fantastic cut of pork that offers many cooking options.
Tasty Tip: I like to provide you with a number of substitutions and variations giving you an array of options when making my recipes. If in doubt of any of the above ingredients, or wanting alternatives, read this section (further below) before jumping into the instructions on how to make the recipe which are coming next 😉👌.
🍳 Instructions
Here are the step by step instructions to make the recipe. We start by drying the pork skin. You can leave it uncovered in the fridge overnight prior to making the recipe or uncovered on the bench for 1 hour until it gets to room temperature. Next we season the meat.
- Underside unfolded facing up (Photo 1)
- Season with salt and pepper (Photo 2)
- Sprinkle with garlic powder (Photo 3)
- Then sprinkle with onion powder (Photo 4)
👩🍳 How to Make Roast Pork Shoulder
To make the roast pork shoulder start by ensuring that the oven is on at the right temperature so that it will begin cooking the pork as soon as it goes into the oven.
Then place the pork shoulder onto a chopping board underside facing up and season it liberally with salt and pepper.
Once done sprinkle the garlic powder over the meat, followed by the onion powder.
Then flip the pork back so that the fat side faces up and use paper towels to dry it as you see me doing in the photo below.
- Pat the skin dry with paper towel (Photo 5)
- Brush the skin with olive oil (Photo 6)
- Sprinkle salt all over the skin and sides (Photo 7)
- Transfer the pork shoulder to a baking dish (Photo 8)
Next drizzle the olive oil over the skin and use either a basting brush or your fingers to massage the oil in.
Once done liberally coat the surface with salt. Try and get every little bit to have some salt granules on it.
Then transfer the pork to a large roasting pan with wire rack.
Next we roast the pork using a combination of high heat and a moderate oven to ensure the skin is perfectly crackled and the meat perfectly cooked.
For temperature ranges we are looking at getting the meat to an internal temperature of 70°C (juicy and moist) and 75°C (for firmer cooked meat). A digital thermometer is the way to achieve this!
Once the pork is cooked, you can use oven mitts to remove it from the oven and place it onto a heatproof surface.
Allow the roast pork to rest (uncovered) for 10 to 15 minutes before carving it.
👍 How to Guide
How to Store
Store leftover slices of the roast pork in a sealed, airtight container in the fridge. They can be kept for 2-3 days and need to be reheated before being consumed again.
How to Freeze
Allow the meat to fully cool, then portion into zip lock bags. Push the air out and then seal. Lay these frozen portions of meat flat in the freezer where they can be kept for up to 3 months.
How to Reheat
To avoid overly dry meat, allow frozen leftovers to full thaw before heating them up again.
For refrigerated leftovers, place them onto a plate and cover with cling wrap. Heat in 1 minute increments until warmed through. Avoid heating ‘on high for 3 minutes’ to start with as this can over heat and dry out the meat making it less enjoyable to consume.
😉 Substitutions and Variations
Here are my sub ins and outs that you might be thinking about as you read the post and I will tell you if I think they will work or why they won’t:
- If you want to add a dried herb to the seasoning try fennel, Chinese five spice or All Spice.
- When serving with a fresh herb, rosemary is an alternative to the parsley you see in the photos throughout the post.
- You can add a liquid be it water or cider to the base of the pan if you wish too, although it is not necessary.
- If you do want to score the skin to make the roast pork easier to cut, the trick is to not cut into the actual meat, only the skin part. Your butcher can sell you a pork shoulder which they score for you to make this process easier.
💡 Tasty Tips
Here are my top tips and tricks that I want to share with you so that you master the recipe from the get go:
- The oven temperature is key to getting the crackling to work on this pork roast. We use an initial blast of high heat, then reduce the temperature to allow the pork to cook then give it another blast with the higher heat temperature to perfect the crackle.
- Whilst it is not essential, a meat thermometer comes in super handy to ensure that your roast is cooked through. You can purchase one very cheaply from most grocery stores or kitchen supply stores and their accuracy allows you to know without any doubt when your meat is done. Well worth it in my opinion!
- The oil in the base of the baking tray becomes very, very hot! Something to be aware of when you are sticking your face up close opening and closing the oven 😂.
- Don’t worry of your ‘perfectly rolled shoulder’ unravels a little when it is cooking. This can happen and is totally fine, nothing to worry about.
- Also don’t worry if your crackling ‘slides off’ when carving the pork. This can happen especially when choosing to not score the skin prior to cooking. Simply slice and serve both as you see fit.
- If you love pork recipes, you might also like to try the Pork Belly Fried Rice, Pork Meatballs In Tomato Sauce, Pork Mince Fried Rice, Sweet and Sour Pork Meatballs, Sticky Pork Ribs or the Oven Baked Pork Ribs 😉👌.
🤓 Frequently Asked Questions
How long does it take to cook a pork shoulder?
The total cook time for 2.5kg pork shoulder includes 50 minutes of high temperature cooking for the crackling as well as 1 hour and 15 minutes to roast the pork.
How to get more flavor in pork shoulder?
Seasoning the pork shoulder with a combination of salt, black pepper, garlic power and onion powder will ensure that the pork is flavorsome and well balanced.
Should pork roast be covered or uncovered?
Pork roast is best cooked uncovered. This allows the skin to crisp and crackle.
How do you know when pork roast is done without a thermometer?
If you don’t have a meat thermometer you can pierce a skewer through the thickest part of the pork meat. If the juices run clear, the meat is cooked, if the juices are still mostly pink the pork needs to be cooked for a little bit longer.
😍 More Easy Dinner Recipes
If you want more than pork on your fork for dinner 😂 then here are some different proteins to try. These recipes offer variety through cook times, methods and flavor combinations.
It is time to get our pork shoulder on my friend! You can also find all of my popular recipes or dinner recipes in the one spot.
Adrianne
📖 Recipe
Roast Pork Shoulder
Roast Pork Shoulder is a juicy pork roast perfect for weekends and special occasions. With minimal ingredients it gets oven baked to perfection!
Print RateServings: 6
Calories: 612kcal
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Ingredients
- 2.5 kg/ 5 lb boneless pork shoulder Note 1
- ¼ teaspoon salt Note 2
- ½ teaspoon black pepper also Note 2
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder Note 3
- 1 teaspoon onion powder Note 4
- ¼ cup/80 ml olive oil Note 5
- salt as needed, Note 6
Instructions
Pork: remove any packaging from the pork then place the pork shoulder on a plate. Leave it to dry out (uncovered) in the fridge overnight or for a couple of hours before making the recipe. Then remove it from the fridge and set it on the bench to allow it to come to room temperature.
Preheat the oven: preheat the oven to 220°C/ 425°F / Gas Mark 7.
Season: unfold the pork shoulder and place it underside up on a chopping board. Liberally season the meat with salt and black pepper then sprinkle it with the garlic powder, followed by the onion powder.
Skin: roll the pork shoulder back up and flip to the skin side up. Drizzle the olive oil over the top and any skin surface of the pork and use a basting brush or your hands to massage this in. Then liberally sprinkle salt onto the olive oil ensuring all skin is covered.
Oven bake: transfer the pork to a rack in a baking tray. Oven bake the pork (middle shelf) for 45 minutes to get the crackle started. During this time the skin will bubble and harden. After 45 minutes reduce the oven to 180°C / 350-375°F / Gas Mark 4-5. Let the pork then cook for an additional 1 hour and 15 minute period. Once the cook time is up, use oven mitts to remove the baking tray and use a meat thermometer to ensure that the pork is at least 70°C (158°F). Then turn the oven back up to 220°C/ 425°F / Gas Mark 7. Cook the pork for a further 5-10 minutes to give the crackle a final high heat boost. Then use oven mitts to remove the baking tray and leave it uncovered on the bench to rest for 10 to 15 minutes.
To serve: after the pork has rested use a carving prong and sharp knife to carve the pork into slices. Serve with potatoes and gravy (optional).
Notes
- Note 1 – shoulder: the pork you see in the photo above is boneless pork shoulder. You can purchase it from the grocery store or butcher. Whilst the grocery store is cheaper, you might find the meat has random score marks, whilst meat from the butcher won’t. You can opt for whichever suits you the most 😄👍. It is a fantastic cut of pork that offers many cooking options.
- Note 2 – Salt and pepper: we use salt and a little bit of black pepper to season the pork before we cook it. We then use additional salt rubbed into the skin to make the crackling.
- Note 3 – Garlic powder: along with the salt and pepper we use garlic powder and onion powder rubbed into the pork before it is roasted.
- Note 4 – Onion powder: as above. One thing to keep in mind with these 2 dried powders is that they can dry out if not used for a while, so check your bottle to save a mid cook trip to the shops!
- Note 5 – Olive oil: most types can be used. Extra virgin olive oil should be avoided if using a non stick baking pan.
- Note 6 – Salt: we want to cover the entire skin with salt to ensure that it crisps up. Sea salt or coarse granulated salt will work well, not table salt.
Nutrition
Calories: 612kcal | Carbohydrates: 1g | Protein: 94g | Fat: 23g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 13g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 250mg | Sodium: 323mg | Potassium: 1587mg | Fiber: 0.1g | Sugar: 0.04g | Vitamin A: 1IU | Vitamin C: 0.1mg | Calcium: 32mg | Iron: 4mg
