Roast Pork Shoulder

I have always wanted to cook a pork shoulder and, honestly I don't know why I have shied away for so long.
This recipe, from Bon Appetite, caught my eye and I decided to throw caution to the wind and try this out on my family this past New Year's Eve.  "Why not start this year off with a little mystery, take a chance!"  My motto for 2014.
Lesson learned:  Risks pay off!  
As is always the case, I did not follow the recipe to a tee. Almost, but not quite, I did not make the slaw when serving as a main dish. (See the complete original recipe along with my changes below)  As you can see by my picture, I upped the ante on the carrots, my family loves roasted carrots, so the more the merrier.

INGREDIENTS:

1 teaspoon fennel seeds

1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns

1/4 cup kosher salt plus more

1/4 cup sugar

1 7–8-lb. skinless bone-in pork shoulder (Boston butt or picnic)

1/4 cup plus 1 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar

1/4 cup (packed) light brown sugar

Freshly ground black pepper

4-5 carrots (I peel & quarter them, roast with the pork and serve on the side)

My other addition 1 large can of Italian cut green beans

1 large carrot  (I do not make this slaw when serving as a meal, see notes below)

1 apple, Granny Smith 

4 cups stemmed mustard greens 

1 tablespoon olive oil

PREPARATION:

Crush fennel seeds and peppercorns with the bottom of a heavy skillet, or use a mortar and pestle. Transfer spices to a small bowl; add 1/4 cup salt and sugar. Rub mixture all over shoulder. Place in a large glass baking dish, cover, and refrigerate for at least 6 hours or preferably overnight.

Preheat oven to 325°. Brush off spice rub from meat and place pork in a deep roasting pan; discard excess spice rub and any liquid in dish. (Place peeled carrots in pan with roast.)  Add 1 cup boiling water to roasting pan; cover pan tightly with foil. (Create a tight seal to lock in the steam and juices.)  (I add the beans with about an hour remaining in the cooking process.)

Transfer pan to oven and roast until meat is very tender and falling off the bone (an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center without touching the bone will read 195°), about 5 1/2 hours.

Remove pan from oven; discard foil. (I set the foil aside and use it to tent the roast while reducing the sauce in the next step.) Increase heat to 500°. Stir 1/4 cup vinegar and brown sugar into juices in pan. Return to oven and roast, watching closely to prevent burning, until pork is browned and liquid begins to reduce, about 12 minutes.

Transfer pork (and veggies in my case) to a rimmed baking sheet; set aside. (Tent with the foil.) Pour liquid in pan into a small saucepan. Bring liquid to a boil and cook, occasionally spooning off fat from surface, until a thick, syrupy glaze forms, about 10 minutes. There will be about 1 1/2 cups glaze and up to 1 cup fat; discard fat. Season glaze with salt and pepper; set aside.

Using a peeler, peel carrot into thin ribbons. Core, quarter, and thinly slice apple. Mix carrot, apple, greens, oil, and remaining 1 Tbsp. vinegar in a large bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Arrange on a platter. Top with pork; pour reserved glaze over pork. Serve with tongs.

(This makes a nice slaw accompaniment to the pork, I knew my family wouldn't eat it so I skipped this step.) For a perfect casual party:  Make this recipe a day in advance, pull the pork, then reheat the pork in the sauce and serve with small brioche buns, top with just a little slaw.

Read More http://www.bonappetit.com/recipes/2012/09/slow-roasted-glazed-pork-shoulder#ixzz2OnT8Z4UX