Preparing the perfect Pork Shoulder Roast

By christoph

Fool proof method to cook the most moist, tender, and flavorful roast ever.

Ingredients

• 3 – 4 pound shoulder roast
• 2 large onions
• 4 – 5 cloves garlic
• cooking oil
• sea salt & pepper

Details

Preparation time 20mins
Cooking time 860mins
Adapted from jamesandeverett.com

Preparation

Step 1

Thoroughly rinse the roast in cool water, and pat dry with a paper towel. Let the roast rest on a plate covered with plastic wrap on the counter for at least 30 minutes to come up to room temperature.

Massage all sides of the roast with cooking oil. I often use olive oil, however if I am preparing the roast for carnitas or pulled pork I use vegetable oil which does not add flavor. Liberally sprinkle all sides of the roast with salt and pepper (do not season the roast until you are ready to cook, salting the meat ahead of time will draw moisture out of the roast).

Heat your grill on high and brush to clean. Reduce the heat to medium high and place the seasoned roast directly over the heat source and brown on all sides. You are not trying to cook the roast, rather just get some good color on it.

Do not be alarmed if the grill flames up, it will. Due to the high fat content of the meat it is bound to do so. Some fire won’t hurt the roast but do keep an eye on it and move it out of the way if it begins to burn. Once the roast is browned on all sides it is ready for the crock pot.

Chop the onions into large pieces and place them in the bottom of the crock pot. Peel the garlic and add the whole cloves to the onions. The onions will not only add flavor, but hold the meat up off of the bottom of the crock pot. Place the roast fat cap up directly on the onions. This will allow the fat to drip down through the meat as it cooks keeping it extremely moist. Put the lid on the crock pot and set heat to high. Do not add any liquid to the crock pot. That might sound different to how you have cooked in the past, but please just trust me on that.

Cook on high for two hours. Reduce heat to low and cook for about another four hours. Keep the lid on, resist the temptation to open the crock pot to check the roast. You will see the meat pull away from the bone through the lid. Roast is done when the bone can easily be removed with tongs. If you prepared a boneless roast, test for tenderness with a fork. The meat should easily fall apart when tested. Lift the roast from the crock pot and loosely tent with foil on a platter or cutting board for 15 – 20 minutes before slicing or shredding.