Pork Roast
Make a juicy, tender, and flavorful Pork Roast with this easy recipe! This oven roasted pork shoulder makes for a delicious family meal. It's covered in a homemade pork seasoning, then slow cooked in the oven with beef stock and apple juice for a sweet and savory flavor. Vegetables are roasted with the pork shoulder, so when the cooking time is up, a full meal is ready!
Ingredients
- 4-6 pound pork shoulder, boneless or bone-in, see notes below
- 3 tablespoons pork chop seasoning, click link for the recipe
- 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 1 ½ cups beef stock
- 1 ½ cups apple juice
- 1 tablespoon worcestershire sauce, or soy sauce
- 2 cups onions, large dice
- 1 pound carrots, peeled and cut into 2 inch pieces
- 1 ½ pounds mini red potatoes
- 2 sprigs fresh rosemary
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 honeycrisp apples, cored and sliced into wedges
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch, optional - for gravy
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325°F.
- Pat the pork dry with paper towels. If needed, trim any excess fat on the pork, then rub the pork shoulder on all sides with the pork chop seasoning.
- Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a 7 quart (or larger) oven-safe pot, or dutch oven, on the stove over high heat.
- Add the seasoned pork shoulder and sear on all sides for 2 minutes per side. Remove the pork from the pot and set it aside.
- Add the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil to the pot. Add the onions and cook for 5 minutes. Pour ¼ cup beef stock into the pot and stir to deglaze the bottom of the pan, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Add the pork back to the pot.
- Pour the rest of the beef stock into the pot, along with the apple juice and worcestershire sauce.
- Add the potatoes and carrots around the pork. The vegetables do not need to be submerged in the liquid. They will steam in the dutch oven as they cook with the pork roast.
- Bring the liquid in the pot to a boil. Top with the fresh rosemary sprigs and bay leaves.
- Cover the pot with a lid, or a tight-fitting piece of foil, and place in the oven for 90 minutes.
- After 90 minutes, remove the lid, add the apples and continue to cook for another 30 minutes, or until the pork reaches an internal temperature of 180°F. The internal temperature will rise 5-10 degrees as it rests.
- Remove the pork from the oven. Use tongs to remove and discard the bay leaves and rosemary sprigs. Transfer the pork shoulder to a cutting board, loosely tent with foil and let it rest for 20 minutes before slicing and serving.
Make a gravy for the pork (optional)
- While the pork rests, you can prepare a gravy on the stove with the pan drippings. Start by using a slotted spoon to move the vegetables from the pot to a serving platter. Cover tightly with foil to keep the vegetables warm while you’re resting the pork and preparing the gravy.
- Pour the liquid from the pot through a fine mesh strainer and into a large bowl. Measure out a cup of the liquid, then add it to a small pot on the stove over high heat. Bring to a boil.
- While waiting for the liquid to boil, combine 1 tablespoon cornstarch and 1 tablespoon water in a small bowl to make a cornstarch slurry.
- Once the liquid is boiling, pour the cornstarch slurry into the pot and stir quickly to combine. Let it simmer for 1-2 minutes, then remove the pot from the stove. Serve the gravy on the side of the pork roast, or drizzled on top.
Notes
- When selecting a pork shoulder, remember that bone-in pork will give you more flavor, but it will take a little longer to cook. Using a boneless pork shoulder takes less time to cook and makes it easier to slice and serve. The choice is up to you! You want a thin layer of fat on top of the pork for flavor, but if it’s more than a thin layer, you’ll want to trim it down before cooking.
- I recommend planning for a half-pound of meat per person, so if you're roasting a 4 pound pork shoulder, it will feed 8 people. If you're roasting a 6 pound pork shoulder, it will feed 12 people. But remember, it also makes great leftovers!
- Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. I recommend reheating the pork in a skillet on the stove, or wrapped in foil in the oven.
- You can braise the pork roast on the stove, instead of in the oven, if you prefer. Simply cover the pot, set the stovetop temperature to medium-low heat and allow the pork to simmer in the liquid for 2 hours on the stove.
- If you don't want to cook the pork in apple juice, you can simply double-up on the beef stock.
Nutrition Facts
Calories 420kcal (21%)Carbohydrates 39g (13%)Protein 31g (62%)Fat 16g (25%)Saturated Fat 4g (20%)Polyunsaturated Fat 2gMonounsaturated Fat 8gCholesterol 93mg (31%)Sodium 282mg (12%)Potassium 1333mg (38%)Fiber 6g (24%)Sugar 15g (17%)Vitamin A 9662mg (193%)Vitamin C 18mg (22%)Calcium 124mg (12%)Iron 5mg (28%)
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