Photography: John Paul Urizar. Styling: Olivia Blackmore.
This delectable pork shoulder roast will please all your guests this Christmas!
“Is it the pork or the crackling that’s most loved? In our house if it’s not shared evenly arguments will ensue! I have cooked this beautiful pork shoulder for many a family gathering over the years,” says Maggie Beer.
Ingredients
Method
Using a scalpel, Stanley knife or small sharp knife, score the skin of the pork just through to the fat.
Place the pork shoulder onto a trivet or rack. Tuck bay leaves underneath the pork. Place rack over the sink and pour the boiling water over the pork to open up the skin. Place the rack on a tray and refrigerate uncovered overnight to dry out the skin.
Remove pork shoulder from the fridge 2 hours prior to roasting to allow to come to room temperature.
Preheat the oven to 240°C (220°C fan-forced) or as hot as your oven will go.
Place pork shoulder into a medium baking dish. Pat dry the skin of the pork with paper towel then drizzle over the olive oil, rub in the fennel seeds, lemon rind and sea salt.
Roast pork shoulder for about 30 minutes or until the skin starts to bubble up and blister and you can see it starting to turn into crackling. Reduce the oven temperature to 180°C (160°C fan-forced) and roast for another 1½ hours or until the internal temperature of the pork has reached 63°C, using a digital thermometer.
Remove pork shoulder from oven and deglaze dish with the verjuice, making sure not to drizzle over crackling. Allow to rest for 20 minutes in a warm spot.
To serve, remove crackling, chop into pieces. Carve pork shoulder, serve with resting juices from roasting tray, apple chutney and steamed asparagus and Brussels sprouts, if you like.
What can I serve with this pork shoulder roast?
Maggie Beer says her pork shoulder roast “pairs wonderfully with my indulgent crispy roasted potatoes“. She also recommends serving the pork shoulder with apple chutney, as well as steamed asparagus and Brussels sprouts.
