Roasted Pork Shoulder (brined + orange flavored)

A scrumptious Roasted Pork Shoulder that gets slow-roasted covered, flavored with orange and balsamic vinegar.

📝 Ingredients

• 2 kg / 4.4 pound Pork Shoulder Boneless
• 3-4 sprigs of thyme
• 3-4 sprigs of sage
• 100 ml red wine
• 1 orange juiced (don't discard the cups)
• 2 tablespoons Balsamic vinegar
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 55 ml fresh orange juice
• 4 cups (1 liter) lukewarm water
• 1 1/2 cups (375 ml) white wine
• 4 tablespoons kosher salt
• 6 allspice berries
• 6 cloves
• 5 bay leaves
• 6-7 peppercorns
• 1 stick of cinnamon
• 2-3 sprigs of thyme
• 20 grams / 0.7 oz Grape molasses (or molasses)
• 1 teaspoon Balsamic vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon mustard powder
• 1 teaspoon dried marjoram or thyme instead
• 800 grams / 28 oz potatoes (peeled and cut into 5 cm pieces (2-inch))
• 1 teaspoon dried marjoram

👨‍🍳 Instructions

1. 1--- Brine The Pork (the night before): ---
2. 2Trim most of the fat from the surface of the pork leaving only a little.
3. 3Add pork to a large bowl (glass or plastic) that fits it. It shouldn't be much wider than the meat because we want it to sink in the brine.
4. 4Add all of the seasonings as well except the salt.
5. 5Dissolve the salt in 1 liter of lukewarm water and add to the bowl. Pour the wine in as well.
6. 6Refrigerate overnight or you can leave in the brine for up to 2 days.
7. 7--- Cook The Pork: ---
8. 8Remove the pork from the brine. Pat it dry with paper towels.
9. 9Preheat oven to 160°C / 320°F.
10. 10Place the pork in a roasting pan if it has a rack place it on the rack. If using a plain pan that's okay too.
11. 11Combine all of the ingredients for the rub in a small bowl. Then rub it all over the top surface and sides of the meat.
12. 12Add the sprigs of thyme, sage, and orange cups to the pan.
13. 13Pour the red wine and orange juice into the pan.
14. 14Cover by putting the lid on (if using a roasting pan with a lid), or cover with a big piece of parchment paper and then secure it with a piece or two of aluminum foil on top. Make sure it's closed well on the sides.
15. 15Bake for 2 hours.
16. 16Prepare The Potatoes: meanwhile, if you wish to add potatoes as well, boil them in some salted water for 10 minutes. Then remove them with a slotted spoon and set them aside in a bowl.
17. 17Remove the pan from the oven without uncovering it.
18. 18Raise the oven's temperature to 220°C / 428°F. Wait for 10 minutes.
19. 19Uncover the pork. Carefully drain most of the liquid from the pan into a bowl. Leaving only a very thin layer just enough to cover the surface of the pan. NOTE: Do not discard the parchment paper and aluminum foil cover.
20. 20Add the potatoes all around the pork. If using a roasting pan with a rack place the potatoes underneath the rack.
21. 21Skim off some fat that has risen on the surface of the pork liquid you just drained.
22. 22Drizzle the fat over the potatoes. About 6-7 tablespoons of it.
23. 23Season the potatoes very lightly with table salt, pepper, and 1 teaspoon of dried marjoram.
24. 24Add back in the oven and roast for 10 minutes.
25. 25Meanwhile, in a small bowl mix together the 2 tablespoons of Balsamic vinegar, 1 tablespoon of honey, and 55 ml of fresh orange juice.
26. 26Remove the pan from the oven.
27. 27Drizzle ½ of the mixture all over the pork.
28. 28Place the pan back in the oven.
29. 29Roast for 6 minutes more.
30. 30Remove the pan from the oven once more and drizzle the meat with the remaining ½ of the mixture.
31. 31Roast for 6 minutes more. Then remove the pan from the oven.
32. 32Carefully transfer the pork shoulder to a serving plate using two large spatulas. Or use the parchment paper and aluminum foil cover to gently grab hold of it and transfer it. And then use it to cover the meat again. Note: If you didn't add the potatoes there's no need to transfer the meat. Simply cover the meat inside the pan.
33. 33Rest the meat for 30 minutes.
34. 34Drop the oven's temperature to 200°C / 392°F.
35. 35Place the pan with the potatoes back in the oven and roast the potatoes until nice and crispy on the edges. If you wish, toss and squeeze them with a spatula to make them even crisper.
36. 36Cut thin slices of the pork and serve along with the potatoes and enjoy!
37. 37This red wine sauce goes great with this dish making it even more festive!