Slow Roasted Pork Shoulder

Pork shoulder can be roasted at low temperatures and served with rice and beans or over polenta with a side of black-eyed peas with sautéed greens, any which way it will be delicious. Pork shoulder can also be braised, slowly cooked in a sauce, usually a BBQ sauce then shredded for pulled pork, another really popular preparation. The cooking time is long but, the results are well-worth waiting for.

Remove the meat from the oven and hour or two prior to cooking so it comes to room temperature

and place it on a rack in a shallow pan, this will allow the Convection heat to circulate around the meat and cook it evenly. The pork can be roasted in either a Combi Steam oven or a Convection Oven. I served my roast pork with rice, black beans and an orange avocado salsa with lime juice, cilantro and some diced jalapeno.

INGREDIENTS

1 pork shoulder 3 - 5lbs

1 small yellow onion, peeled and quartered

4 cloves garlic, peeled

1 tbsp ground cumin

1 tsp mild chili powder

1 tbsp dried mixed Italian seasoning

1 tbsp Kosher salt

Freshly ground pepper

¼ cup olive oil

1 tbsp apple cider vinegar

PREPARATION

Convection Steam Oven, heat the oven in the Convection Steam Mode, 300F, 150C.

Convection Oven, heat the oven in the Convection Bake or Roast Mode, 325F, 164C.

Puree the onion, garlic and seasonings in a food processor or with an immersion blender. Stir in ¼ cup of olive oil and the vinegar to make a thick paste.

Place the meat fat side up on a rack in a shallow pan. Score the meat in a cross-hatch pattern and rub the puree all over the meat. Pour enough water into the bottom of the pan to cover the surface and slide the tray into the oven.

Check the meat after 2 hours and add a little more water to the bottom of the pan if needed.

Check the meat again after 3 ½ hours to see how tender it is, it should be as easy to cut as room temperature butter! Remember you can’t go wrong if you keep the temperature low.