Braised, Stuffed Pork Shoulder

Pork shoulder roast, stuffed with a mixture of bread crumbs, garlic, and herbs, then braised in white wine with garlic, rosemary and herbs.

Here is a classic way to prepare pork shoulder—marinaded with white wine, garlic and herbs, stuffed with a garlic herb breadcrumb stuffing, seared, then braised with the marinade.

The result is a beautiful succulent roast pork, perfect for company or a special meal!

In this recipe nothing is wasted, and all of the flavor is captured. The marinade once used to marinate the pork, is strained and used to deglaze pan drippings from searing the pork, and then added to the braising pot.

Braised, Stuffed Pork Shoulder Recipe

  • Yield: Serves 8

Ingredients

  • 4 pounds pork shoulder roast, boned, untied
  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 cups chicken or beef stock, boiling

Marinade:

  • 1 cup dry white wine (like a Sauvignon blanc)
  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary
  • 2 teaspoons mixed dried herbs (can use an herbes de provence, or Italian seasoning blend)
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced

Herb-stuffing:

  • 2 tablespoons chopped parsley
  • 1 teaspoon mixed dried herbs
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • Salt and pepper
  • 1 egg
  • 1/4 cup breadcrumbs

Method

1 Marinate pork: Mix together the marinade ingredients in a large bowl. Add the pork roast and turn it to coat it all over with the marinade. Marinate for several hours in the refrigerator.

Remove from refrigerator 1 to 2 hours before cooking to bring closer to room temp.

Remove pork roast from marinade, pat dry. Reserve marinade.

2 Make the stuffing: Combine the stuffing ingredients until the mixture has the consistency of a paste.

3 Stuff the roast: Open up the pork roast to expose where the bone had been. Smear the stuffing onto this surface. Tie up the pork roast to enclose the stuffing. Rub the pork with olive oil.

4 Sear the roast in oven or on stovetop: Either place the pork in a large roasting pan and sear it in a pre-heated 425°F oven for 30 minutes or until the surface is golden brown, OR sear the roast on all sides in a large cast iron frying pan on medium high heat on the stovetop.

Transfer the pork to a thick-bottomed pot with a cover just large enough to contain it. (We used a 2 1/2 quart Le Creuset.)

5 Deglaze the pan with the strained marinade: Drain off the fat from the roasting pan or searing pan, then strain the marinade into the pan and heat, stirring to deglaze the pan juices.

6 Add marinade and stock to pot with pork, cover and cook: Pour the marinade over the pork and add enough stock to come one-half or two-thirds of the way up the side of the meat. Heat on high to bring to a simmer, lower the heat to maintain a bare simmer, cover the pot and simmer for about one and a half hours.

OR if you’ve already heated the oven to sear the roast, bring to a simmer and then put it in a 325°F oven for 1 1/2 hours.

7 Remove meat to cutting board, reduce liquids to make a sauce: Transfer the meat to a cutting board. Strain the liquid from the pot into a small saucepan, let settle enough to skim the fat, and simmer until the sauce is reduced by half.

Remove the strings from the meat, slice it or cut it into wedges, and serve with the sauce.

Excellent served with mashed potatoes.


Recipe adapted from The Time Life Good Cook Series, Pork.