You'll notice I use a little bit of water in the bottom of my roasting pans so that we're able to catch the drippings before they burn. When we're able to collect these tasty drippings along with the aromatic vegetables that have softened in the fat and drippings from the roast, you've got yourself the makings for an incredible tasting pan sauce.
Ingredients
One 4-5 pound boneless pork shoulder
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
4 branches fresh rosemary
3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
2 onions, chopped
1 carrot, peeled and chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped
Butchers string
Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 325°. Season the shoulder liberally on all sides with salt and pepper. Truss the roast by taking butchers string and tying one string tautly length wise and 4 shorter strings width wise (about 1-1/2 inches apart).
2. Place the roast fat side up. With a paring knife, make several small incisions into the fat. Cut the rosemary sprigs into 1 inch segments and insert into to every other cut so that half the sprig is inserted into the fat. Then in the remaining incisions, place the sliced garlic.
3. Scatter the chopped onion, carrots and celery in the bottom of heavy-bottomed roasting pan. Then set the shoulder on top of the vegetables and add 1 quart of water. Place into the oven and roast about two and half hours or until the pork registers an internal temperature of 155° on a meat thermometer. Let the meat rest for 10-15 minutes before you serve it. Reserve the pan juices and vegetables for another use or make a pan gravy.
From My Family Table: A Passionate Plea for Home Cooking by John Besh/Andrews McMeel Publishing
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