Slow roasted pork shoulder with potatoes
A garlicky, paprika-rubbed pork shoulder roasted low until it pulls apart, with potatoes crisping in the drippings, a feast for very little money.
- 270 min total
- 20 min hands-on
- Follow-a-recipe easy
- Serves 8
- About $1.80 a serving
- 560 calories
- Good the next day
- Gluten-free
- Dairy-free
Dolly says: Make the full amount. It’s just as good for lunch the next day.
Ingredients
For 8 servings.
- 3 lb pork shoulder, boneless
- 6 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 yellow onions, thickly sliced
- 2½ lb russet potatoes
From your pantry
- 1 tbsp brown sugar
- 1 tbsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp dried rosemary
- 2½ tsp salt, divided
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 2 tbsp olive oil, divided
- 1 cup water
Each serving has about 560 calories, 33 g protein, 33 g carbs and 33 g fat, and costs about $1.80 at typical US grocery prices. Both are estimates from what the recipe uses.
Missing something?
- No yellow onions? White onions or red onions work.
- No russet potatoes? Yukon Gold potatoes work.
Steps
Tap an underlined word for a quick explanation.
the pork dry.
Pat dry. Patting dry means pressing paper towels onto food to soak up the moisture on its surface. Wet food steams instead of browning, so this is how you get a good sear and crisp skin.
How you’ll know: The surface feels tacky, not wet, and the last paper towel comes away barely damp.
Stir the garlic, brown sugar, smoked paprika, rosemary, 2 tsp of the salt, the pepper and 1 tbsp of the oil into a paste and rub it all over the pork.
Dolly’s tip: You can do this the night before. Salt that sits overnight seasons the pork all the way through.Wash your hands.
Food safety: Wash your hands, the board and the knife with hot soapy water after touching raw meat, and don’t rinse raw chicken in the sink.
the oven to 325°F.
Preheat. Preheating means turning the oven on before you start, so it’s fully hot when the food goes in. Food that starts in a cold oven cooks unevenly and doesn’t brown the same.
How you’ll know: The oven beeps or its light clicks off, usually 10 to 15 minutes after you turn it on.
Spread the onion slices in a roasting pan or 9x13-inch dish, set the pork on top fat side up, and pour the water around it.
2½ hours.
Roast. Roasting means cooking in a hot oven, around 400°F to 450°F, usually spread out on a sheet pan. The dry heat browns the outside and brings out sweetness, especially in vegetables.
How you’ll know: The edges are browned and a little crisp, and a fork slides easily into the thickest piece.
Timer: 150 min
Cut the potatoes into 1½-inch chunks, them with the rest of the oil and salt, and tuck them around the pork in the juices.
Toss. Tossing means gently lifting and turning food so everything gets coated, like pasta in sauce or vegetables in oil. It coats every piece evenly without mashing anything.
How you’ll know: Every piece looks glossy or evenly coated, with no dry spots hiding underneath.
1 hour more, then turn the oven up to 425°F and roast 15 minutes, until the potatoes are browned and the pork is and pulls apart.
Roast. Roasting means cooking in a hot oven, around 400°F to 450°F, usually spread out on a sheet pan. The dry heat browns the outside and brings out sweetness, especially in vegetables.
How you’ll know: The edges are browned and a little crisp, and a fork slides easily into the thickest piece.
Fork-tender. Fork-tender means cooked until a fork slides in with almost no push. It’s how you know potatoes, carrots or slow-cooked meat are soft all the way through.
How you’ll know: The fork slides in and out easily, and meat pulls apart with very little effort.
Timer: 75 min
Dolly’s tip: Shoulder is past safe long before this. The extra time is what melts it from chewy to tender.Food safety: Steak, pork chops and other whole cuts are safe at 145°F in the middle, then let them rest for 3 minutes before cutting.
Move the pork to a board, cover it loosely with foil, and 15 minutes.
Rest. Resting means letting cooked meat sit for a few minutes before you cut it. It keeps cooking gently, and more of the juice stays in the meat instead of running onto the board.
How you’ll know: Loosely covered with foil, it stays hot, and very little juice runs out when you slice it.
Timer: 15 min
Pull the pork into big chunks with two forks and serve with the potatoes, onions and pan juices spooned over.
Plan this in Dollop, and get the grocery list
Dollop puts this dinner on a night that suits your week, lists only what you still need to buy, and walks you through each step while you cook.
