Roast pork
This would work with either pork shoulder (i.e. butt) or a tenderloin, but I prefer a beautiful, marbled shoulder with a nice fat cap. A 3lb shoulder will feed a family of four for one very generous meal, two ample ones, or three if it's just a little savory component to your veggie or grain heavy meal. I often like cutting the shoulder into 1-1.5 pound rectangles to increase the surface area (for the rub), faster cooking time, and bite-sized slicing when cooked. Make sure it's one solid block of pork. Tie it if necessary.
My basic formula for a rub is 1:1:1 ratio salt, brown sugar, and spice mix. For the spice mix, use your favorite variant that goes with pork. I'm partial to five spice powder, but I also like some combination of the following:
- Mustard powder. Mustard and pork is classic.
- Garlic powder.
- A little chile powder of some sort. I like using Korean chile powder.
- Coriander
- Cumin
- Fennel. Another classic with pork.
I also love using 된장! If you wanted to go more Western savory, you could mash up an anchovy with some garlic and rosemary.
Rub the pork shoulder generously. Don't skimp on the rub! Let it sit in the refrigerator for at least four hours, but for best results, do it overnight or for 24-hours.
The key to cooking is low and slow. I like roasting at 250 or (if I have plenty of time) 225. If you're in a rush, you can do it at 300, but don't do it any higher than that. I turn the pork every 15 minutes for the first hour, then every 30 minutes after that. Cook until the flesh firms up and the surface is beautifully brown and caramelized. I like my pork medium rare or perfectly medium — 145 or 150 degrees internally. If you do it low and slow like this, it will come out perfectly juicy. A small roast usually takes about an hour and a half. A larger roast can take up to four hours or even longer.
Enjoy!
