Crackling pork shoulder

Crackling!? I didn't know this was a thing until I started looking online, trying to find inspiration for cooking something other than pulled pork. I lined the baking tray with potatoes and carrots too - it was delicious!

Ingredients

• 3 pound/1.5 kg pork shoulder, roped or unroped, boneless

• 500 mL beef or pork broth

• 6 garlic cloves, whole

• 1 onion, sliced in quarters

Marinade

• 1 tbsp capers

• 2 tbsp rosemary

• 1 tbsp thyme

• 3 tbsp garlic

• 2 tbsp Dijon mustard

• 2 tsp salt

• 1 tsp black pepper

• 1/4 cup olive oil

Directions

Note: leave pork unwrapped overnight in the fridge to dry the moistur

1. In a small food processor or blender, combine the garlic, capers, rosemary, thyme, salt, pepper and olive oil until it becomes a paste.

2. Remove any excess fat on the pork shoulder

3. Pat dry the pork shoulder with a paper towel, rub the paste all over the pork shoulder, loosely cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 2 hours

4. Preheat oven to 220C/430F

5. Place garlic cloves and onion on the bottom of a large baking tray

6. Place pork skin side up on top of them, trying to flatten out the skin as much as possible

7. Carefully pour the beef broth into the baking tray, do not wet the skin

8. Immediately turn the heat down to 160C/320F (or 140C/290F for fan)

9. Roast for two hours, check at 1 hour to see if the pork is warped and the skin surface is leveled. If it is not leveled, adjust to make the skin as surface as possible using balls of crunched up foil and moving the dislodged pork. Ask someone to help you with this step as the pork will be very hot

10. Return pork to oven and cook for remaining hour

11. Remove pork from oven, if the liquid in the baking tray has dried, add some water

12. Increase oven temperature to 240C/450F

13. Cook pork for 30 minutes, rotating every 10 minutes or so, if skin is crackling and beginning to darken quickly, remove from oven before 30 minutes

14. Transfer pork to a cutting board, tent loosely with foil for 20 minutes and allow the pork to rest (this will help keep the moisture and juices in)

15. Slice and serve with roasted potatoes and asparagus, glazed carrots, or mash and gravy

--Notes--

• Fresh, unroped pork shoulder is best because you want a flat surface to get even crackling on the top and sides of the pork

Adapted from: Fall apart roasted pork shoulder by Katie Workman & Crackling pork shoulder by Nagi (Recipe Tin Eats)

https://themom100.com/recipe/fall-apart-roasted-pork-shoulder-rosemary-mustard-garlic/

https://www.recipetineats.com/pork-shoulder-roast-with-crispy-crackl