The generous marbling in a pork shoulder contributes to the wonderful melt-in-your-mouth texture of the meat that is achieved by slow roasting or braising. The benefit of braising is that during the cooking you are also creating a delicious sauce perfect for dishes such as pulled pork. However, when this cut of pork is slowly roasted the meat can be cut into tender delicious slices and served with a variety of side dishes.
Slow Roasting in the Convection Mode vs Roast Mode
Recipes for slow roasting a pork shoulder provide guidance for oven temperature and timing, but as the owner of a Convection or Steam oven, it will be up to you to decide which cooking mode to choose. Many Convection ovens feature a Convection Roast and a Roast mode, so which would be the best mode to choose?
The Roast mode uses the same heating elements as the Bake mode except that the top heating element will cycle on with greater intensity for better browning. The Roast mode is included in the cooking options to give you the choice of how you prefer to cook your food, just remember that foods cooked in this radiant heat mode do tend to dry out more.
We know that lean tender roasts cook faster in Convection; however, Convection will not speed up the cooking time of cuts of meat like pork shoulder that require long slow cooking in order to tenderize. However, using Convection for slow roasting is a great choice because the meat will cook more evenly and will have better moisture retention. Because more of the natural juices are retained the meat will have more flavor.
Slow Roasting in Convection with Steam
Slow roasting with a combination of Convection and Steam definitely adds another dimension of flavor and texture however I find reducing the temperature even lower to 300F (150C) provides better results when roasting with Steam.
If your Steam oven offers a choice of humidity levels choose 30% humidity. If your Steam oven only has the option of a Combination Convection + Steam mode, you can change the mode to Convection only for the final 40 minutes or so of cooking for additional browning.
Why is Cooking a Large Roast on a Rack so Important?
When large roasts are placed directly onto a pan as the pan heats up, the heat of the pan leaches moisture and fat from the meat and believe me a Convection fan can do a good job of splattering all that fat around the oven. You will also find placing the meat on rack makes it much easier to remove the meat from the roasting pan once it has finished cooking.
Can I Use a Meat Probe for Slow Roasting?
Cuts of meat like pork shoulder require long slow cooking in order to tenderize, so time is the important factor here: allow approximately 4 hours for a 4 - 5lb roast. Meat probes work well when roasting lean tender cuts of meat to avoid overcooking them or to reach a desired internal temperature but in this case, you want to feel the meat almost melt when you pierce it with a fork.
Seasoning is Everything
For maximum flavor season, the pork with a dry rub a day in advance or marinate it with your preferred marinade and of course let it sit outside of the refrigerator for at least an hour before it goes into the oven.
Slow-roasted pork shoulder is perhaps the easiest way to cook a delicious meal, and cooking in Convection or with Steam ensures great results, just take your time.
There are so many ways to prepare chicken and in my next post, I will share a recipe that is packed with great flavor.
Larissa, Your Convection Enthusiast