Slow-Roasted Pork Shoulder with Cherry Sauce
By America's Test KitchenPublished on December 6, 2012
Time
6¼ to 7¼ hours, plus 12 hours brining and 1 hour resting
Yield
Serves 8 to 12
Ingredients
Pork Roast
1 bone-in pork butt, 6 to 8 pounds (see note)⅓ cup kosher salt ⅓ cup packed light brown sugar ground black pepperCherry Sauce
10 ounces fresh or frozen pitted cherries 2 cups red wine ¾ cup granulated sugar ¼ cup plus 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar ¼ cup ruby portBefore You Begin
We prefer natural to enhanced pork (pork that has been injected with a salt solution to increase moistness and flavor), though both will work in this recipe. Add more water to the roasting pan as necessary during the last hours of cooking to prevent the fond from burning. Serve the pork with the accompanying cherry sauce or peach sauce or with a sweet-tart chutney.
Instructions
- Using sharp knife, cut slits 1 inch apart in crosshatch pattern in fat cap of roast, being careful not to cut into meat. Combine salt and brown sugar in medium bowl. Rub salt mixture over entire pork shoulder and into slits. Wrap roast tightly in double layer of plastic wrap, place on rimmed baking sheet, and refrigerate at least 12 and up to 24 hours.
- Adjust oven rack to lowest position and heat oven to 325 degrees. Unwrap roast and brush off any excess salt mixture from surface. Season roast with pepper. Transfer roast to V-rack coated with nonstick cooking spray set in large roasting pan and add 1 quart water to roasting pan.
- Cook roast, basting twice during cooking, until meat is extremely tender and instant-read thermometer inserted into roast near but not touching bone registers 190 degrees, 5 to 6 hours. Transfer roast to carving board and let rest, loosely tented with foil, 1 hour. Transfer liquid in roasting pan to fat separator and let stand 5 minutes. Pour off ¼ cup jus; discard fat and reserve remaining jus for another use.
- Bring cherries, wine, granulated sugar, ¼ cup vinegar, ¼ cup defatted jus, and ruby port to simmer in small saucepan; cook, stirring occasionally, until reduced to 1 1/2 cups, about 30 minutes. Stir in remaining tablespoon vinegar. Cover and keep warm.
- Using sharp paring knife, cut around inverted T-shaped bone until it can be pulled free from roast (use clean kitchen towel to grasp bone). Using serrated knife, slice roast. Serve, passing sauce separately.
for the roast
for the sauce
Time
6¼ to 7¼ hours, plus 12 hours brining and 1 hour restingYield
Serves 8 to 12Ingredients
Pork Roast
Cherry Sauce
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
Pork Roast
Cherry Sauce
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
Pork Roast
Cherry Sauce
Test Kitchen Techniques
Why This Recipe Works
Bone-in pork butt takes longer to cook than boneless but retains more moisture and cooks more evenly. We started our slow-roasted pork shoulder recipe by rubbing our roast’s exterior with brown sugar and salt, then left it to rest overnight. The sugar dried out the exterior and boosted browning. Elevating the pork shoulder on a V-rack and pouring water in the roasting pan kept the slow-roasted pork’s drippings from burning as it roasted. It also created a significant jus with no burning. Finally, a fruity sauce recipe with sweet and sour elements cut the slow-roasted pork shoulder’s richness.
Before You Begin
We prefer natural to enhanced pork (pork that has been injected with a salt solution to increase moistness and flavor), though both will work in this recipe. Add more water to the roasting pan as necessary during the last hours of cooking to prevent the fond from burning. Serve the pork with the accompanying cherry sauce or peach sauce or with a sweet-tart chutney.
Instructions
- Using sharp knife, cut slits 1 inch apart in crosshatch pattern in fat cap of roast, being careful not to cut into meat. Combine salt and brown sugar in medium bowl. Rub salt mixture over entire pork shoulder and into slits. Wrap roast tightly in double layer of plastic wrap, place on rimmed baking sheet, and refrigerate at least 12 and up to 24 hours.
- Adjust oven rack to lowest position and heat oven to 325 degrees. Unwrap roast and brush off any excess salt mixture from surface. Season roast with pepper. Transfer roast to V-rack coated with nonstick cooking spray set in large roasting pan and add 1 quart water to roasting pan.
- Cook roast, basting twice during cooking, until meat is extremely tender and instant-read thermometer inserted into roast near but not touching bone registers 190 degrees, 5 to 6 hours. Transfer roast to carving board and let rest, loosely tented with foil, 1 hour. Transfer liquid in roasting pan to fat separator and let stand 5 minutes. Pour off ¼ cup jus; discard fat and reserve remaining jus for another use.
- Bring cherries, wine, granulated sugar, ¼ cup vinegar, ¼ cup defatted jus, and ruby port to simmer in small saucepan; cook, stirring occasionally, until reduced to 1 1/2 cups, about 30 minutes. Stir in remaining tablespoon vinegar. Cover and keep warm.
- Using sharp paring knife, cut around inverted T-shaped bone until it can be pulled free from roast (use clean kitchen towel to grasp bone). Using serrated knife, slice roast. Serve, passing sauce separately.
for the roast
for the sauce
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