Pork Shoulder Pot Roast : Delicious For Easter or Anytime

With Easter coming ever closer, perhaps it's time to do some forward planning. You may have family and friends visiting and are looking for a great one pot meal for everyone to enjoy, this could fit the bill. The original recipe idea does include baby potatoes, but for those who do not include potatoes in their menu plans just consider substituting them for swede or celeriac ... there are always good lower carb choices available. But it's the slow cooking that makes the pork in this one-pot roast truly tender.

Ingredients:
Serves 4
1.4 kg boneless pork crackling shoulder joint
10 g fresh rosemary leaves, picked and roughly torn
4 garlic cloves, sliced
1 tsp coarse sea salt
1.5 tbsp olive oil
2 red onions, cut into wedges
2 tsp fennel seeds, lightly crushed
2 apples, peeled, cored and cut into wedges
500 ml original Somerset cider
1 bulb fennel, trimmed and cut into quarters
2 parsnips, peeled, halved lengthways and cut into large chunks
2 medium carrots, peeled, halved lengthways and cut into large chunks
2 bay leaves, fresh or dried
250 ml chicken stock, made with 1 chicken stock cube

(Optional - 500g baby potatoes)

Method:
1. Preheat the oven to 180ºC, fan 160ºC, gas 4. Score the skin of the pork with a sharp knife, then make about 15 small incisions in the sides of the meat and stuff each with some of the chopped rosemary and a slice of garlic. Rub the skin with half the sea salt.
2. Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large lidded casserole over a medium heat. Add the onions and fennel seeds and cook for 5 minutes, until the onion is just softened and golden.
3. Add the apples, cider, fennel, parsnips, carrots, bay leaves and the remaining rosemary. Pour in the stock, bring to a bubble and let simmer for 1-2 minutes, until reduced slightly.
4. Sit the pork in the vegetables, then cover and cook in the oven for 45 minutes. Take the roast out of the oven. Scatter the remaining salt over the pork skin, pressing it in with the back of a metal spoon.

(5. Optional - If using potatoes - Increase the oven temperature to 220ºC, fan 200ºC, gas 7. Put the potatoes in a bowl and coat with the remaining oil. Add them to the casserole and return it to the oven, uncovered, for a further 45 minutes.)

6. Transfer the pork to a chopping board to carve. Serve 100g of pork per person along with pieces of the crackling and the vegetables, drizzled with a spoonful of the pan juice.

Cook's tip: for extra crispy crackling, move the pork joint to a baking tray on the top shelf of the oven for the final 20 minutes cooking time. Replace the lid on the casserole pot and move to the bottom shelf.

Original recipe idea from here

This Pot-Roast Loin of Pork with celeriac, shallots and pancetta recipe is lovely too, and only has three grams carb per serving, why not take a look here.

We try and bring a variety of recipe ideas to this blog, and not all may be suitable for you. If you may have any food allergies, or underlying health issues these must always be taken into account. If you are a diabetic and not sure how certain foods may affect your blood sugars, test is best, i.e. use your meter.

All the best Jan