Slow Roasted Pork Shoulder is such a gorgeous and equally delicious roast.
It is so easy to prepare and always turns out extremely flavorful and tender!
It is absolutely heavenly with a wonderful pan gravy. Just look at this roast!
SLOW ROASTED PORK SHOULDER IS EASY TO PREPARE
This roast is glorious when served during the holidays, but we love it so much, we make it year-round.
Watch us show you how easy it is to prepare this amazing Slow Roasted Pork Shoulder!
Pork shoulder’s are easily found in the meat department of most well-stocked supermarkets. Although we love to get our from our favorite location butcher. You can always get excellent quality roasts when ordering from D’Artagnan Foods.
OTHER INCREDIBLE ROAST RECIPES TO TRY
- Royal Crown Roast with Stuffing
- Incredible Italian Pot Roast
- Roast Rack of Lamb
- Herb-Stuffed Pork Loin
- Christmas Chateaubriand
- Roasted Whole Chicken
EXPERT TIP: You’ll want to use an instant-read thermometer to ensure you reach the perfect temperature for this roast. The ideal internal temperature is 145°F.
We love the roast to be just a little pink on the inside. There is absolutely no health risk for a little pinkness, and the flavor is incredible.
Oh, you had us at: Roasted Pork Shoulder.
HOW TO MAKE PAN GRAVY
Of course gravy is a must with this incredible slow roasted pork shoulder.
Make a simple roux in a large skillet by melting 2 tbsp of fat (such as pan drippings, bacon grease, or butter). Next, add 2 tbsp of flour and stir until incorporated. Cook for a couple minutes. To the roux, whisk in 2 cups chicken stock with salt and pepper, stir until thickened. Now you’ve got a perfect pan gravy for this roast.
Divine!
BONE-IN ADDS MORE FLAVOR
We love getting a bone-in pork shoulder. Talk about flavor!
We save the bone and then use it when we’re making our incredible New Orleans Red Beans and Rice!
I mean, come on…just look at this beauty!
We just can’t rave enough about this Slow Roasted Pork Shoulder.
And you can’t believe how easy it is to prepare.
This is truly a dish you will keep in your rotation for one of those meals that is so impressive, and not much trouble at all. Mmmmmm.
Ready to impress? Go for it and make this amazing roast. You and your loved ones will be so happy that you did.
And when you make it, be sure to take a picture, post on Instagram, and tag @howtofeedaloon and #howtofeedaloon!
Slow Roasted Pork Shoulder
Ingredients
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tbsp garlic chopped, plus 1 garlic clove, thinly sliced
- 2 tbsp fresh rosemary chopped
- 2 tbsp fresh sage chopped
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 4 lb pork butt shoulder
Instructions
- Pre-heat the oven to 350 F.
- Liberally sprinkle salt and pepper all over the roast.
- In a small bowl, mix together the olive oil, garlic, rosemary, and sage.
- Using a small brush, or your hands, spread the mixture all over the pork butt.
- Make slits in the meat, about 1/2-inch wide and deep. Insert the garlic slices into the slits.
- Set the meat on a rack in a roasting pan.
- Cook until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the roast reads 155°F, about 25 minutes per pound.
- Remove the roast from the oven and let stand for 15 minutes.
- Slice and serve!
Okay, I made this tonight, but….in the crock pot. Followed your ingredients, used a 3 lb. pork shoulder. Added 3 cups of chicken broth, and let it take a nice long bath on low for almost 7 hours….OMGosh….out of this world.
Enough for leftovers with mash potatoes and fresh string beans !
Thanks !
Linda
Woo hoo, Linda!! That’s the best news we’re heard all day! So glad you had such success with the pork shoulder!! Leftovers are even better, we think!! Thank you so much for letting us know and please stay in touch! All the best, Kris & Wesley
Hey Kris – Please tell me and everybody else reading this that you and Wesley are doing ok there in New York during this difficult time.
Made this tonight. Normally pork should goes in the smoker all day, but decided to try something different this time! Oh so glad I did! It was DELICIOUS! Served it with the pan gravy, garlic egg noodles, and green bean casserole! One heck of a quarantine meal! Thank you for the recipe!
This was so good and made the house smell fantastic!!! Only change I made was I added Greek seasoning to the roast and then followed the directions. So simple so good! We were so hungry I didn’t even make the gravy. Thanks for the great recipe!!!
Hey Carrie!! YES!!! Love the addition of Greek seasoning! That must have been so yummy!! Thank you so much for letting us know about your success with the pork shoulder recipe and especially for the GREAT review. That really means the world to us. xoxo Kris & Wesley
Best pork shoulder I have ever made. It was so juicy, perfectly pink and so tender. Thank you so much. 3 of us ate a 4lb roast, that’s how good it was. I will definitely be making this again for my family. Another top favorite meal. It’s hard to keep a good figure when meals like this turn out so damn good.
That is so amazing to hear, Lana! Nothing makes us happier than this! So very thrilled you enjoyed this recipe and thank you so so so much for letting us know and the great review!! All the very best! Kris & Wesley
Tried this today. And it’s so tasty. So delicious
Had to cook the pork for 5 hours 10lbs pork shoulder Bone-In. I thought it is going to be dry. But I was wrong. It is totally perfectly cooked as I wanted. No pink in the middle. But it is so juicy and tender. Thank you very much for this recipe. I will definitely make this again.
Hi Rodelia! So thrilled you had success with the pork shoulder! Sounds like you did everything perfectly! And thank you so much for letting us know. We truly appreciate that so very much! Stay in touch!! Best, Kris & Wesley
I would like to lose 10 pounds in the next week so I was wondering if I could borrow some of your raw pork contaminated salt to put on my food. I literally had to stop watching after the third time you grabbed the pork with the same hand you were grabbing the salt.
But the final product looks delicious.
I dunno D, that might be a tall order to ask for. I have a special plastic container in my pantry for what I call “raw” spices that I can use freely without needing to worry about whether or not I have to have clean hands to use them. I cherish those spice bottles! I bet these guys too …. all seasoned up and broken in properly. As long as I am only touching stuff that is going to be cooked to safe temp or thoroughly washed anyway, I can go back and forth at will. Or more seriously ….. wash them when I am done with the cook with everything else that’s contaminated. Plus it costs more money to ship hazardous material, so best just to make your own, and good luck losing that 10 pounds! Try my method …. drink as much tequila as you can for 7 days straight. That’s good for 6 pounds at least, and then go run 40 miles on the last day to get the other 4 pounds off.
We do the same thing, Cobia! Thanks for having our backs. You absolutely ROCK!
Kris – I’m surprised at that. I always pictured you guys more as wine and scotch drinkers. Maybe some gin to change things up a bit. Not tequila though!!!!
We like it all!! LOL!
Cobia.
You truly *do* rock. Way to use humor to gently smack down some know it all who has too much time on their hands to learn anything. Would rather jump online and point out what s/he thinks is wrong with everybody else.
BTW My pork shoulder is IN the oven as we speak. Using Plaguecation to work at my kitchen window while watching the Stellar Jay clean my house of bugs, Aussie at feet, blazing fire in fireplace (still wet and cold in Portland, Or), smelling pork butt melting into pure nirvana. Not a bad way to endure the chaos.
To everyone out there: Stay strong, stay positive, stay safe.
Hello there. I have to ask. I have 10 lbs pork shoulder. How long should I cook in the oven? I also prefer fully cooked than slightly pick inside.
Thank you.
So sorry for the delayed response, Rodelia! You want to cook the roast for about 15 to 20 minutes per pound. So, a little over 3 hours. We recommend using a meat thermometer to gauge the internal temp, which should reach 145 to 150°F for a perfectly cooked loin. Hope this helps!!
By mistake I bought an 8lb. pork butt roast. As soon as I realized it, I went to Pinterest and looked for a recipe that I thought would make a tender meal. OMG! This is hands down one of the best recipes I have ever made. My husband raved! Our guest raved! Thank you!! I may never buy another beef roast again…
Hi Sara!! YES!!! That makes our hearts swell with joy to hear this. Sometimes little mistakes can lead to the best victories! So glad we could help out in our HUGE success!! And thank you (and your hubby) for the great review. That truly means the world to us. Please stay in touch! All the very best, Kris & Wesley
The gravy recipe does not list any flour? Just was curious if tou add flour?
Hi Becky! So sorry about that! And thank you for bringing that to our attention. After melting the 2 tbsp of fat (i.e., butter), add 2 tbsp of flour, and stir until incorporated and then cook for a couple minutes. Then whisk in stock and salt and pepper, whisking all the time. That should do the trick! We’ve updated the recipe to reflect this. Thanks again and let us know how it turns out and what you think. All the best! Kris & Wesley
This looks great! I want to try it. Is it possible to add steps on making the gravy from the pan drippongs?
Hi Crystal! Sure, in a saucepan, heat 2 tbsp of butter (or leftover bacon grease, if you have any). To that, add 2 tbsp of flour, and mix to incorporate, cook for about 2 minutes. Then, carefully add the pan drippings into the flour mixture, whisking constantly. If not enough drippings, add some chicken stock. After several minutes, it should start to thicken. Add salt and pepper, to taste. If it doesn’t thicken enough, you can make a corn starch slurry by mixing 2 tbsp of corn starch with 2 tbsp of cold water. Mix until combined and then add to the gravy and stir until thickened. Hope this helps and let us know how it turns out and what you think!
Oh my gosh! Thanks for sharing the recipe. I used the herbs from my garden, so fresh. My son, that most often does not like meat, loved this roast! Beautiful.
Hi Angeline!! YES!!! We are so thrilled to hear you had success with the pork should roast and even better that your son loved it, too!! Major WIN!! And thank you so very much for letting us know. That truly means the world to us. Please stay in touch!! All the very best, Kris & Wesley
This is a great demonstration on how to cook a shoulder pork roast. It is pretty much the way I have done it for years and have had great success.
My question is; you say 155 degrees internal temp in the written recipe and 145 in the video (going to 155 while resting) and you also say to 145 degrees in your “expert tip”. I am perfectly happy with 145 degrees, but my girlfriend read the recipe and insists on taking it up to 155 degrees because she is … how can I say it …. old fashioned about pork needing to be cooked into hell and back (IMHO). Would you please clarify these two different temperatures you have about the temperature of the interior of the pork after cooking???
And also, do you have any comment about cooking meats at high altitudes? We are at 7500 ft. here in Colorado. Really high right now … and lots of altitude here also. 🙂
Hi Cobia!! Sorry for the delayed response! Thank you so much for your great comment!! Regarding the temperature, I’ll clarify in the EXPERT TIP just to make sure. We typically cook the roast until its between 145 and 155. It will increase in temperature (somewhat) as it rests, right out of the oven. Now days, the concern is nearly non-existent within the food industry for pork that is cooked with a slightly pink interior. This is due to greatly improved regulation and legislation regarding the handling and feeding of hogs during. I had a professor at the Culinary Institute of American in NY explain this in great detail. 145 to 155° F interior will produce a juicy, tender, slightly pink roast for you and your rightly concerned girlfriends!! I’m not an expert at cooking roasts at that high of an altitude, but you should still be fine. My suggestion would be to invest in a instant-read thermometer (they’re pretty in-expensive), and once you’ve reached the right internal temp, you should be good. The high altitude may make the roast need a longer in the oven to cook fully. Let us know how it turns out and what you think!! We LOVE Colorado, by the way!! We were just recently in Boulder for a Loon family reunion!! All the best, Kris & Wesley
Served with mashed potatoes, creamed butternut squash, creamed onions and applesauce-my favorite meal! Hands down! Love it!
That sounds amazing, Brenda!! Thanks so much for letting us know and we are so happy you enjoyed the recipe! All the best, Kris & Wesley
Hello my question is, what if you are cooking convection verses baking. How does that effect cooking time. Mary
This was really delicious and so tender, will def make again!
That’s awesome to hear, Sheila!! So glad you had success with the roast and thank you so much for letting us know and giving the recipe such a great rating!! You are the BEST!! Stay in touch! Kris & Wesley
This is so easy to put together. Loved it and was great for left overs too.
Hi Robert! Thanks so much for the 5-star rating and for letting us know. So very happy to hear that you had success with the slow roasted pork shoulder! We love that dish so much. And you are 100% right…the BEST left-overs!! Thanks again, all the best, Kris & Wesley
I like white wine cooked in pork meat. do you think pouring some white wine over the roast the last hour or so would be a good idea?
Hi Rosa! Absolutely!! That would be wonderful and add such a depth of flavor. Let us know if you make it with the wine and how it turns out. Sounds delicious!! Best, Kris & Wesley
I’m not picky with many foods. I’m someone with a motto that I’ll try anything twice, three times if necessary, and almost everything I’ll eat no matter how it’s cooked…except for pork. If it’s dry, like most slow cooker shredded pork recipes are, I just spend the day eating cole slaw and potato salad. So, when I bought a pork shoulder on sale only to realize most recipes I was finding was slow cooker shredded pork, I knew I had to take a different route.
Thus, I found this recipe. It took about half a day to get everything going (complete with buying myself a new thermometer since mine apparently disappeared when I moved) but it was all worth it. This recipe was absolutely delicious! The herb ratio was just right, and the blend matched perfectly to suit the cut of meat it was on. The recipe is also pretty idiot proof – I let mine cook a whole extra hour because the juices were still running red despite reaching temp in the center (I’ve now learned that this can happen sometimes with larger pieces of meat – the more you know~) but that surprisingly didn’t dry it out. I sent a good chunk of it home with my mom since I certainly couldn’t eat 6lbs of pork by myself, then ate on it for the rest of the week, and it was still as delicious as the first day.
Thank you so much for this awesome recipe~ I may not make this again any time soon just because a pork shoulder is a large portion of meat for one person, but next time I’m having friends over or cooking for an event I’m definitely coming back to this recipe 🙂
Hi Haley!! We hear you about dry shredded pork…that’s never good and so common!! We are THRILLED to hear you enjoyed our slow roasted pork shoulder. It’s one of our all-time favorites, too!! You are right, though…it doest make a healthy portion of pork!! It’s great for serving guests for a dinner party or a holiday gathering. Thanks so much for letting us and please stay in touch!! All the best, Kris & Wesley
Can I do this in a crock pot?
Hi Doug, yes,this can be done in a crock pot. We’d suggest finish it off under a broiler for just a couple minutes to crisp the top. But, keep an eye on it…wouldn’t want burn the roast after slow cooking all day! Let us know if you try it in the slow cooker and how it turns out! Best, Kris & Wesley
This was so, so, so good!
Also, gluten-free without the gravy but that could probably be made with corn starch!?
You are my favorite cooking site. Love you guys & your recipes!
Hi Terry!! So sorry for the delayed response. Woo hoo!! We are thrilled that you loved the slow roasted pork. It’s one of our all-time favorites, too. So happy you had success with it. And thank you for letting us know!! All the best, Kris & Wesley
This was so, so, so good!
Also, gluten-free without the gravy but that could probably be made with corn starch!
You are my favorite cooking site. Love you guys & your recipes!
Just made this for the first time. AWESOME!!! I cooked it in the slow cooker cuz it’s not today. Having an instant read thermometer made it easy to get just right. Made the pan gravy while it rested and it was so good! Pinned it as soon as I finished eating!! I cook a lot of pork roast and the flavor of this beat all the other recipes I’ve tried.
Hi Cheryl!!! AWESOME!!!!! Slow cooker works beautifully and we are so thrilled you love it! This pork shoulder is one of our all-time favs and so glad you enjoyed it, too. And, of course…the sauce!!!! Thank you so much for letting us know!!! We appreciate that so very much!! Stay in touch!! All the best, Kris & Wesley
I’ve been looking for a great pork shoulder recipe and this is it! Plus it was absolutely fabulous and entertaining watching the “how-to” video! I love how you both interact with each other and are so dang cute! Cannot believe I’ve never found your site before but I’ve got a new go-to for recipe ideas and inspiration!
Kate!!! You just made us SO VERY HAPPY!!!! We are thrilled you found us and we found YOU!!!! AND…we are over-the-moon thrilled you enjoyed the roasted pork shoulder!! We really love it a lot, too, and enjoy serving it to family and friends. Please stay in touch!!!! All the best, Kris & Wesley
Excited to make this. Got a deal on a pork should blade roast, but of course I had no recipe. Thank you so much for mentioning 25 minutes per pound, especially when it’s not 4lb as per the recipe.
Hey Jon!! You are going to LOVE it!! Let us know how it turns out!! Kris & Wesley
Making for the second time! Love it!
Awesome!! Hope you enjoy it this go around, too! We have a hunch you will!! xo
I love this roast. Made it for the first time about a month ago. Making it again tonight! I do though cover with foil after it has browned well to get a huge amount of drippings for my homemade gravy. About the last 45 mins I cover it with foil for juices and remove the foil take out drippings and put back in oven while I make the gravy.
Definitely a keeper! Thanks for the recipe!
Hi Tracy!! Sounds wonderful, and great idea about covering with foil. Thank you for letting us know and please do stay in touch!! xo Kris & Wesley
Ok, I did it your way. Wife wasn’t initially excited, every pork roast we’ve tried has been dry. Followed your instructions, only change was cutting sage & rosemary by half. Best pork we’ve ever had. Totally moist and delicious. My only bitch is that it didn’t yield enough drippings to make a roux, and since I miscalculated the time it would take, I had to skip it. Next time, though.
After trying it, my wife looked at me and said, “You’re amazing.” Well, as if she didn’t already know, cha!
Saving the bone to try with your red beans & rice recipe.
It says slow cooker, but you cook it in the oven??
Hi Steven, sorry if the keyword ‘Slow Cooker’ was confusing. This is ‘slow cooked’ in the oven, but you can certainly cook this in a slow cooker, too. If you’d like us to provide you with those instructions, we’d be happy to. We’ve tried both ways, and really love the oven version. The skin get nice and crispy, more so than the slow cooker. But both are pretty amazing. Thanks!
Hello my question is, what if you are cooking convection verses baking. How does that effect cooking time. Mary
Hi Mary! When cooking in your convection oven, simply reduce the oven temperature to 325°F and cook for the amount of time given for how many pounds the roast is. Or, reduce the cook time by 25% from what you would have baked in a normal oven. If this doesn’t make sense, let us know, and we’ll do a better job of clarifying! Best, Kris & Wesley
How do u make this yellow gravy
Hi Ashlie…sorry for the delayed response. Make a roux using grease (or butter) and then add equal parts flour (2 tbsp and 2 tbsp). Then add the strained liquid and whisk until thickened…about 5 to 8 minutes. Hope this helps!
It looks great! Can I cook it in an instant pot?
Hi there!! I’ve never done this roast in our Instant Pot…I have no doubt it could be done successfully, you’d obviously have to adjust the timing. Plus, the skin won’t get crispy, but it will still be delicious. We’ll look into and let you know!! Best, Kris & Wesley
This is exactly how our family has been making pork shoulder for generations. It was spot on! I hope I’m not being condescending when I say you guys are so flipping cute!
Dawn!! You’re not being condescending at all!! Are you kidding…we’re a couple of hams and love it!! Truly, it means the world to us that you enjoy what we do, and especially that you love this pork roast. It’s so good, right?? 🙂 Stay in touch!! xoxo Kris & Wesley
Happy New Year 2019! I stumbled upon your recipe for the slow roasted pork shoulder during my search for a new recipe to start off our New Year. I really can’t tell you how much my family enjoyed this park roast. The combination of garlic, oil, and herbs created the most delicious crust. Nice and crispy with a fall apart, juicy pork roast. I did not make the pan gravy, though, as I served baked sweet
potatoes. It’s our family tradition to always have pork roast and hoppin’ John on New Year’s Day, and this did not disappoint. To put it simply, it was heavenly. Thanks so much for this deliciously simple recipe!
Toni!! So very sorry for the delayed response, but your message makes us so very happy!! We absolutely love that pork roast and we couldn’t be more thrilled that you and your family ejoyed it. Thank you so much for letting us know. That means the world to us. Happy New Year and we truly hope you and your loved ones have a brilliant year!! Best, Kris & Wesley
I’m confused with your math, 25 minutes a pound ,4 lb roast…. isn’t cook time 4 hours and 20 minutes
Hi Lynda! So sorry for that error, and thank you for bringing it to our attention. A 4 lb. roast should take about 2 to 2 1/2 hours, in all. Recipe has been updated. Hope you try it and hope you like it as much as we do!! All the best, Kris & Wesley
I have a 10 pound shoulder. Is it best 2 cut in half to cook in batches or just calculate time to be over 4 hours?
HI Jannelle!! You could really go either way. Adjusting the time to 4 hours for the full 10 lb roast should be perfect. But, you can certainly have success with doing the recipe in two batches. Let us know what you decide to do and how it turns out. We LOVE this roast and hope you do, too!! All the best, Kris & Wesley