Slow roasted pork shoulder

Step by Step

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 250ºF and cover a baking sheet with tin foil. Then, set a wire rack on top of the tin foil.

Step 2

Prepare the dry rub by adding the garlic powder, brown sugar, kosher salt, ground pepper, and paprika into a bowl and mix.

Step 3

Next, sprinkle the dry rub over the pork shoulder and massage the dry rub into the meat. Be sure the whole pork shoulder is covered in dry rub.

Step 4

Heat a large pan or cast-iron skillet over medium/high heat. Add butter. When the butter has melted and is sizzling add the pork shoulder to the pan and cook on each side of the pork shoulder for 2-3 minutes or until brown.

Step 5

Carefully remove the pork shoulder from the pan and transfer it onto the wire rack on the baking sheet.

Step 6

Bake pork shoulder at 250ºF for 7-8 hours or until the internal temperature reaches 200ºF*.

Tips and Warnings

We used a 3.5 lb. pork shoulder and it took 8 hours to reach 200ºF.
Option to season pork shoulder, wrap it in plastic wrap and let sit in the fridge overnight if you’d like to prep this ahead of time. Do not season and sear and then let it sit overnight as you increase the risk of bacteria growing in partially cooked meat.
200ºF is important because it needs to be that hot internally in order to be able to shred it.
Nutrition information is for a 3.5 lb. pork roast.
Quick Sear: many slow roasted pork shoulder recipes skip the quick sear and cook the pork on a higher heat (around 450ºF) for around 30 minutes before lowering the temp. We like to do a quick sear because it helps jumpstart that amazingly crispy crust.
Cook Low and Slow: be patient here, folks! Cooking low and slow is the name of the game for perfect slow roasted pork shoulder. Cook the pork at 250ºF, no higher no lower.
Wire Rack: the wire rack is essential for getting that crispy crunchy crust. It allows the fat to fall off of the pork shoulder and land on the pan. This will let the outside get perfectly browned and crunchy.