Slow Roasted Pork Shoulder with Fennel, Lemon and Rosemary
This meltingly tender Slow Roasted Pork Shoulder is flavored with fennel, lemon and rosemary. You will not believe how incredibly easy and hands-off it is to make. Just marinate in a simple Italian-inspired seasoning combination of herb, lemon and garlic mixture. Then cook it slowly in the oven to make the meat absolutely succulent!
Table of contents
Why We Love This Slow Roasted Pork Shoulder Recipe
I know Slow Roasted Pork Shoulder sounds complicated or intimidating, but honestly, there is really not much to it!
This Italian pork shoulder is the perfect recipe for a cozy Sunday dinner or a festive holiday feast. It requires little effort and is truly so rewardingly delicious.
One of the reasons I love it so much is that it is hands off. Once the marinated meat goes into the oven, you can go about your day preparing the rest of the holiday meal.
Roasted pork shoulder tastes great with a wide variety of side dishes. It is absolutely delicious served with these Simple Buttermilk Mashed Potatoes, Creamy Vegetable Mash or roasted garlic mashed potatoes. I like to contrast it with a slightly tangy veggie like this Kale with Cider Vinegar or my Holiday Slaw. Another option for a make ahead fall meal is this Brown Rice and Sweet Potato Salad. You can’t go wrong!
Key Ingredients for This Recipe
Boneless pork butt
You’ll need 4.5 pound to 5.5 boneless pork butt for this recipe. If you have never bought one before, just know that it’s a really flavorful cut of meat that’s perfect for low and slow cooking.
Pork butt is not really the rear-end of the pig but rather the upper part of the shoulder. The actual rear-end is the ham. The pig is broken down into large sections or primals.
The shoulder primal has two parts, the picnic shoulder on bottom and the shoulder butt. This Shoulder Butt or Boston Butt is the part of the pork that we’re going to use today. I chose the butt because you can get a nicer boneless roast out of it.
You’ll probably have to go to a good meat counter to get the right cut. Ask for a 4 ½ to 5 ½ pound boneless pork butt. If possible order in advance.
Fennel
Fennel seeds have a sweet and slightly licorice taste to them. Although they’re a main ingredient here you can leave them out if you don’t like them.
Lemon
Freshly squeezed lemon juice is used in the pork rub. If you’re in a pinch you can use pre-squeezed juice, but fresh is much better.
Rosemary
You can find fresh rosemary in the produce section of any large grocery store. Try and use fresh rosemary over dried, if you can.
Additional Ingredients
- 2 cloves garlic finely grated
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
- 2 teaspoons coarse kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- 1/3 cup dry white wine
- 1 ½ cup chicken broth divided
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
Step-by-Step Instructions to Make This Italian Pork Shoulder
Step 1: Make rub for pork
Mix together the garlic, lemon juice, olive oil, fennel seed, thyme, salt, pepper and rosemary in a small bowl. Rub the mixture all over the pork and inside where the bone was removed.
Tie the roast together with butcher twine. Place the pork in a 2 gallon x-large re-sealable bag or in a baking dish. Seal the bag or cover the baking dish with plastic wrap and refrigerate 12 to 24 hours.
Marinating the meat for 12 to 24 hours before slow roasting the pork will make the meat taste very savory and reminiscent of Italian Porchetta.
Step 2: Preheat oven
Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F.
Step 3: Roast pork
Place a roasting rack in a roasting pan. Coat the rack with cooking spray. Remove the pork from the bag or baking dish and set on the rack, skin side up.
The key is roast it at a low temperature for a long time so that the meat does not seize and thus squeezes out the moisture. In a home kitchen, a 300-degree oven is just right.
Roast until the pork is very tender when tested with a fork, if the meat gives away very easily then it is tender. Furthermore, the roast will reach an internal temperature of 180-185 degrees, 5 to 7 hours.
We have more tips on how to check if it is done in our Expert Tips section.
Remove the pork from the oven and allow to rest 15 to 30 minutes. Or rest longer wrapped in foil and swaddled in a cooler.
Step 4: Make gravy
While the pork rests, remove the rack from the roasting pan. Pour the excess pork fat off into a dish or can to discard. Add the wine to the roasting pan. Set the roasting pan over medium-high heat, then bring to a simmer while scraping up browned pieces from the pan. Add 1 cup broth and return to a simmer. Whisk together the cornstarch with the remaining ½ cup broth and drizzle into the simmering broth mixture in the pan. Bring the gravy to a boil while whisking and simmer until desired consistency, 2 to 4 minutes. Strain into a gravy boat.
Step 5: Shred or slice pork & serve
Remove the twine. Shred or slice the pork and serve with the sauce.
FAQs and Expert Tips
Pork butt is naturally very tough, but if it is cooked slowly it will become very tender. The meat comes from a part of the animal that does a lot of work and has a lot of connective tissue, so that means that the roast needs time.
What happens is the natural collagen in the meat will break down into gelatin. In other words, pork will get tender after cooking slowly at a low temperature for a long time.
The key is to not do it so fast that the meat seizes and thus squeezes out the moisture. In a home kitchen, a 300 degree oven is just right. Depending on your roast the meat can take any where from 5 to 7 hours.
To test for doneness it’s all about feel. Start checking if the meat is done at 5 hours. The way I do this is with a fork. I just push the fork down into the meat as far as it will go, then pull it out. If it meets any resistance, the pork roast can probably cook a little longer.
Since the pork already requires a decently long marinating time, it already is kind of a make-ahead recipe. However, you could place the pork in the marinade up to 2 days ahead.
Store the shredded or sliced pork in an airtight container for 3 to 4 days. Reheat in the microwave or in the oven.
Resting: The Perfect Way To Time A Holiday Meal?\
I found that there was a really broad range of how long the shoulder roast took to cook, and there was no rhyme or reason to when it would take 5 ½ hours and when it would take 7 hours.
If you are worried about planning out your holiday meal to start at a specific time, the good news is that this slow-roasted pork shoulder will rest really well for as long as you need it to. If you happen to have a cooler, that’s a great place to keep it nice and warm.
Wrap it in foil, then place it into the cooler, and swaddle it with clean kitchen towels or bath towels for more insulation. I know this sounds strange, but this is actually really effective. At a minimum rest the meat 15 to 30 minutes tented with foil.
Additional Recipes to Try
- This Baked Polenta with Mushrooms from Food and Wine would be phenomenal with this recipe.
- If you’re a fan of roasted pork you should give this Roasted Pork Loin a try.
- Need a new turkey recipe for Thanksgiving recipe? Try my Herb Roasted Turkey!
- I’m in love with this Easy Roasted Pork Tenderloin and Apple Skillet and this Easy Lemon Garlic Pork Tenderloin. Both as easy as they sound!
- You can also read more about pork butt from BBQ expert Steven Raichlen.
Thanks so much for reading! If you are new here, you may want to sign up for my email newsletter to get a free weekly menu plan and the latest recipes right to your inbox. If you make this recipe, please come back and leave a star rating and review. I would love to hear what you thought!
Happy Cooking! ~Katie
PrintSlow Roasted Pork Shoulder with Fennel, Lemon and Rosemary
- Total Time: 24 hours
- Yield: 8 servings 1x
Description
This meltingly tender Pork Roast is full of flavor! And you will not believe how incredibly easy it is to roast a pork shoulder! This festive Italian inspired version makes a perfect celebratory dinner for the Holiday Season!
Ingredients
- 2 cloves garlic finely grated
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 teaspoons fennel seed
- 2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
- 2 teaspoons coarse kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- 4.5 pound to 5.5 boneless pork butt
- 1/3 cup dry white wine
- 1 ½ cup chicken broth divided
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
Instructions
- Mix garlic, lemon juice, olive oil, fennel seed, thyme, salt, pepper and rosemary in a small bowl. Rub mixture all over the pork and inside where the bone was removed. Tie the roast together with butcher twine. Place pork in a 2 gallon x-large re-sealable bag or in a baking dish. Seal bag or cover the baking dish with plastic wrap and refrigerate 12 to 24 hours.
- Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.
- Place a roasting rack in a roasting pan. Coat the rack with cooking spray. Remove the pork from the bag or baking dish and set on the rack, skin side up. Roast until the pork is very tender when tested with a fork, if the meat gives away very eaily then it is tender. Furthermore the roast will reach an internal temperature of 180-185 degrees, 5 to 7 hours. Remove the pork from the oven and allow to rest 15 to 30 minutes. Or rest longer wrapped in foil and swaddled in a cooler.
- While pork rests, remove rack from the roasting pan. Pour excess pork fat off into a dish or can to discard. Add wine to the roasting pan. Set roasting pan over medium-high heat. Bring to a simmer while scraping up browned pieces from the pan. Add 1 cup broth and return to a simmer. Whisk cornstarch with the remaining ½ cup broth and drizzle into the simmering broth mixture in the pan. Bring to a boil while whisking and simmer until desired consistency, 2 to 4 minutes. Strain into a gravy boat.
- Remove twine. Shred or slice the pork and serve with the sauce.
Notes
Cooking Tip:
For any and all slow-roasting tips, check out the tips section above!
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Cook Time: 7 hours
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Roasting
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Calories: 345
- Fat: 27 g
- Saturated Fat: 9 g
- Carbohydrates: 2 g
- Fiber: 0 g
- Protein: 24 g
Keywords: roasted pork shoulder,slow roasted pork shoulder,slow roasted pork butt,pork butt recipe
Great recipe, but needs sweetness. So next time I will definetely add some honey or brown sugar to the juices.
★★★★
I would love to cook this in my slow cooker. Here are my questions: 1-would it still be as delicious? 2-if that is an option, how long would it need, and on high or low? Thanks in advance!
The recipe doesn’t specify that the roast needs to be covered while cooking in the oven. If you don’t cover it you will lose the braising tenderness and have a dry piece of fatty pork.
This looks and sounds delicious but I can’t imagine cooking the meat at this temperature gives good crackling. Presumable one could start it off at a much higher temperature for the first 25 minutes or so?
The skin does crisp up because it’s in there for so long. That said, I don’t think it would hurt to try. Will you let me know how it goes because I haven’t tried that before.
I have a bone in butt, do you think this recipe will still work it sounds delicious
Yes definitely! Depending on the size of it, it may take a little longer. Please let me know how it goes.
Great combination of seasonings, made for a delicious and tender roast. I opted not to use the pan juices to make a sauce, I find pork roast drippings to be bitter. Served this instead with homemade apple sauce. Either way you want to serve this, this is delicious. Thank you for sharing the recipe.
★★★★★
Hi. Can I slice/pull this a few hours ahead of time? I want to do a multi course Italian dinner and I don’t want to stress about prep timing between appies, soup and this. Thanks!
It will be the most juicy when first cut into, but that said, it is very forgiving compared to other types of roasts. So I say go for it and plan to pull it apart ahead. Just keep in mind you’ll want to plan to keep it moist by keeping it wrapped well with foil, or transferring it to a covered baking dish. You don’t want a lot of air touching the surface of the shredded meat. Have fun at your party! Sounds fun!
I’m going make this for our Community Lunch. Wish me luck! Thank you for the yummy idea.
I have those pans! They were my grandmother’s. Now about the pork. I’ve never cooked a pork shoulder before, but seeing this recipe, I want to try it!
★★★★★
This looks wonderful! I love pork shoulder this time of year and those flavors sound spectacular!
Simply gorgeous! I have been looking for a pan like this, where can I find one?!
Thank you Suzy. I inherited that pan when we bought our summer cottage. It was in the kitchen and when I found it, I think I literally squealed with delight! Ha ha. You may be able to find one in an antique shop, but they are so popular now you may not be able to get a fair price.
I love your step by step directions/explanations all about the pork, so informative! Your pictures are amazing too. Looks so good!
★★★★★
Thank you so very much Debra. Hope you have a great weekend.
Dear Katie, I’m loving all the flavors in this dish…it’s right up my alley. Perfect for the weeknight! xo, Catherine
That’s so great to hear Catherine. I have to admit to relishing testing this recipe because the left-overs are so yummy, easy to reheat and adapted to turn into another meal.
This is my kind of meal, girlfriend! Pinning…
You are the best! Thank you for pinning.