Slow Roasted Pork Shoulder
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This aromatic and succulent Slow Roasted Pork Shoulder is inspired by a Moroccan lamb dish. It is pull apart delicious after getting rubbed with warm spices and roasted with vegetables and fruits. Your house will smell amazing!
Slow Roasted Pork Shoulder
There’s something special about a slow roasted dinner. The aroma permeates the house as the meat renders and cooks with the spices and the juices caramelize on the outside, while the inside is moist and tender.
This Moroccan inspired Slow Roasted Pork is just that, and while served with roasted sweet potatoes, carrots, onion and apricots, this is all made in one pan.
Moroccan food always amazes me in that it skillfully uses meat, vegetables and fruit cohesively in one dish and with generous amounts of warm spices to bring it all together. This is great with lamb as well!
Can I make this in a slow cooker?
A reader informed me he cooked this all at 2 hours on high and 6 on low. Came out great, tender, flavorful, and pull apart delicious.
What’s in the Moroccan Spice Blend?
The Moroccan Spice Blend is made up using:
- black pepper
- cinnamon
- ginger
- cardamom
- nutmeg
No salt is added to the spice blend either, but I do rub the pork shoulder with both prior to slow roasting.
What to serve with slow roasted pork shoulder
I like to serve this with large slices of roasted sweet potatoes, carrots, red onion, dried apricots and halved lemons. The vegetables roast along with the Moroccan Slow Roasted Pork. The rendering fat coating and caramelizing the vegetables that were tossed with olive oil and honey. All in one pan makes for an easy clean up, too.
Use the pan drippings and a squeeze the roasted lemon on top, serve with some chopped mint (optional) and this feeds a crowd. Enjoy!
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Slow Roasted Pork Shoulder
Ingredients
- 4 lb pork shoulder bone in
- 4 tbsp Moroccan Seven Spice Blend (separated)
- 1 tbsp salt
- 1 cup chicken stock
- 4 large carrots , cut into French fry-like wedges
- 2 large sweet potatoes , cut into French fry-like wedges
- 1 red onion , sliced thick
- 1/2 cup dried apricots
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp honey
- 3 large lemons halved
- 1/4 cup fresh mint (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 275°F. Allow pork shoulder to come to room temperature.
- Rub salt and 3 tablespoons of Moroccan Seven Spice Blend all over pork shoulder, pressing to adhere. Allow to rest while oven heats up.
- Peel and cut the carrots into thick, French fry-like wedges. Peel and cut sweet potatoes into large, French fry-like wedges. Peel and cut onion in half vertically. Trim edges and cut into thick half inch slices. Toss all in a bowl with oil, honey and remaining tablespoon of Moroccan Spice Blend.
- In a large 13×9” baking dish place the pork shoulder in the center, fat side up and propped up if necessary with a few vegetables underneath. Arrange vegetables and fruit around pork. Pour chicken stock on and around pork and vegetables. Roast uncovered for 6 hours (basting occasionally), or until fall apart tender with internal temperature of 205°F.
- Allow to rest at least 20 minutes, covered with aluminum foil. Remove bone from pork and pull apart or cut into pieces. Serve with roasted vegetables and fruit. Spoon pan juices and squeeze lemons over pork and vegetables and sprinkle chopped mint on top.
Notes
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
Hi – making this later this week – what do you normally serve with it?
The roasted vegetables and apricots could get a boost from a few potatoes added or steamed couscous on the side. I have lots of sides to go with this recipe over on my second website: Silk Road Recipes. Hope you check it out!
Sounds wonderful! I haven’t made this yet but do have questions before doing so:
1) Would it be better to pour chicken stock around the sides rather than over the pork roast to avoid washing off the spice rub?
2) Would adding the vegetables at the last hour of cooking avoid over-cooking them? Seems like they would turn to mush if cooked for six hours.
3) Do you recommend using a rack for the roast?
Hi Sara. Yes, you can pour the chicken stock around. At the 275°F the vegetables are fine the entire time, but feel free to try it in the last hour. I see no reason or benefit to using the rack. I hope this helps.
Love the way this recipe sounds! I haven’t made it yet, but doesn’t pouring chicken stock over the pork wash off the spice rub? Seems like it would be better to pour it around the roast and not directly on it.
It does not wash off the rub completely, but you are pouring it on and around everything. Feel free to do as you like Sara.
Unfortunately at the 5hr and the 6hr mark, the meat did not fall apart. We ended up slicing it. The carrots also did not soften or caramelize sufficiently. Perhaps this is better covered and in a Dutch oven? Disappointed with the outcome of this recipe and that this big feast didn’t turnout as expected.
At 275°F for 6 hours, it should easily fall apart. The National Pork Board online even states a 275°F temp for 3-6 lbs, 55-85 minutes per pound. If you feel more comfortable placing in a Dutch oven then in the oven, by all means. Sorry this didn’t turn out as you’d expected.
This recipe sounds amazing! I am definitely going to try it but with pork tenderloin and cooked in my tagine. I will let you know how it turns out.
Let me know how you enjoy it! I hope you like it!
Can’t wait to try this recipe! Making it for Easter/Birthday.
Let me know how it turns out Julie!
Trying it with venison….
How did it turn out? I hope well!
So easy to put together. I have an 8 lb Boston butt roasting now, and the house smells incredible! I normally roast these around 9 hours, overnight, which is the ideal time in this climate. I’m looking forward to serving this new recipe with my sons for Mothers’ Day. I can’t wait to start using your cookbook; thank you so much for sharing!
Thank you so much! I am so glad you enjoyed it!
I used a crock pot, 2 hours on high and 6 on low. Came out great, tender, flavorful, and pull apart delicious.
That is great to hear!
Is this shoulder cooked without the fat and skin on it? So the spices are rubbed directly into the meat and no crackling is therefore produced?
You are correct, this is a pork shoulder, which has most fat removed. The only pieces of pork I get with the skin still on is when I pick up pork belly.