Slow Roasted Pork Shoulder with Brown Sugar, Paprika and Garlic

Name: Slow Roasted Pork Shoulder with Brown Sugar, Paprika and Garlic
Prep time: 52 min
Cook time: 6 h
Total time: 6 h 52 min
Yield: 10 servings
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 8 lb (3600 g) bone-in pork shoulder (Boston butt) with fat cap, patted very dry with paper towels; 4 tablespoons (36 g) Diamond Crystal kosher salt; ¼ cup, packed (55 g) light or dark brown sugar, lumps broken up; 3 tablespoons (21 g) sweet paprika; 1 tablespoon (6 g) black pepper, freshly ground; 2 teaspoons (6 g) garlic powder; 1 teaspoon (2 g) ground cumin (optional); 2 tablespoons (30 ml) olive oil; 10 cloves (40 g) garlic cloves, peeled; 6 cloves cut into thin slivers, 4 cloves lightly smashed; 2 large (about 1¼ lb) (570 g) large yellow onions, peeled and cut into thick ¾-inch (2 cm) wedges; ¼ cup (60 ml) apple cider vinegar; 1 cup (240 ml) low-sodium chicken broth or water

From the MyKitchenBank Kitchen

A bone-in pork shoulder rubbed with a sweet-smoky paprika and brown sugar crust, then roasted low and slow over onions and garlic until it pulls apart with a fork. The pan juices become an easy sauce.

Prep: 52 min
Cook: 6 hr
Wait: 9 hr 5 min
Total: 15 hr 57 min
Makes: 1 roast (about 10 servings, 6–7 cups pulled pork)

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Ingredients

10 servings

8 lb (3600 g) bone-in pork shoulder (Boston butt) with fat cap, patted very dry with paper towels
For the rub
4 tablespoons (36 g) Diamond Crystal kosher salt
¼ cup, packed (55 g) light or dark brown sugar, lumps broken up
3 tablespoons (21 g) sweet paprika
1 tablespoon (6 g) black pepper, freshly ground
2 teaspoons (6 g) garlic powder
1 teaspoon (2 g) ground cumin (optional)
2 tablespoons (30 ml) olive oil
For the pan
10 cloves (40 g) garlic cloves, peeled; 6 cloves cut into thin slivers, 4 cloves lightly smashed
2 large (about 1¼ lb) (570 g) large yellow onions, peeled and cut into thick ¾-inch (2 cm) wedges
¼ cup (60 ml) apple cider vinegar
1 cup (240 ml) low-sodium chicken broth or water

Equipment (7)

Heavy roasting pan (about 13×9-inch / 33×23 cm and at least 3 inches / 7.5 cm deep) with a rack-free flat bottom, or a large oven-safe Dutch oven (8 quart / 7.5 L)
Heavy-duty aluminum foil (or a tight-fitting lid)
Sharp knife and cutting board
Instant-read or probe thermometer
Small bowl for the rub
Two forks or meat claws
Fat separator or large spoon

Steps

Before you start

Plan ahead: the rub needs at least 4 hours (ideally overnight, up to 24 hours) on the pork. Total time is about 16 hours, but only about 50 minutes is hands-on.
Use a bone-in shoulder (also sold as Boston butt or picnic shoulder) of 7–8 lb (3.2–3.6 kg) with a fat cap. A smaller roast will finish sooner, so start checking the temperature early.
Measure the salt carefully. This recipe uses Diamond Crystal kosher salt. If you only have Morton kosher salt, use 2½ tablespoons (30 g). If you use fine table salt, use 2 tablespoons (35 g).
Check that your roasting pan or Dutch oven holds the pork with at least 1 inch (2.5 cm) of space around it, and that you have heavy-duty foil or a tight lid.

1
Dry and score pork
- Unwrap the pork shoulder and pat it very dry on all sides with paper towels.
- Set it fat-side up on a cutting board.
- With a sharp knife, score the fat cap in a diamond pattern with cuts about 1 inch (2.5 cm) apart and ¼ inch (6 mm) deep.
- Cut through the fat only, not into the meat.
- Use the tip of the knife to cut 12 small, deep slits (about 1 inch / 2.5 cm deep) all over the meat, spaced evenly.
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Ready when: The fat cap shows a clean grid of shallow cuts and the surface feels dry to the touch.
Tip: A dry surface browns better. If the pork is wet, pat it again before scoring.
2
Rub and marinate
- In a small bowl, stir together the kosher salt, brown sugar, paprika, black pepper, garlic powder and cumin (if using).
- Stir in the olive oil to make a thick, damp paste.
- Push a sliver of garlic (use 6 slivers total, 1 per slit) into half of the slits.
- Rub the paste over every surface of the pork, pressing it into the scoring and slits.
- Set the pork on a plate or tray, fat-side up, and refrigerate uncovered for at least 4 hours or up to 24 hours (8 hours is ideal).
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Ready when: The surface looks dry and tacky, and the rub has darkened and turned into a paste-like coating.
Tip: If you have leftover slivers, push them into the remaining slits. Use all 6 slivers here; the 4 smashed cloves go in the pan later.
3
Preheat and set up panOven 300°F / 150°C
- About 1 hour before roasting, take the pork out of the refrigerator.
- Place an oven rack in the lower third of the oven and heat to 300°F (150°C).
- Scatter the onion wedges and the 4 smashed garlic cloves across the bottom of the roasting pan.
- Pour in the cider vinegar and broth.
- Set the pork on top of the onions, fat-side up, so the meat sits about 1 inch above the liquid.
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Ready when: The oven reads 300°F (150°C) and the pork is no longer ice-cold at the center of the surface.
Tip: Pour the liquid around the meat, not over it, so you don't wash off the rub.
4
Roast coveredOven 300°F / 150°C
- Cover the pan tightly with a double layer of heavy-duty foil (or the lid), crimping the edges so no steam escapes.
- Roast at 300°F (150°C) for 4½ hours without opening the oven.
- The onions will soften and the juices will build in the pan.
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Ready when: After 4½ hours, the foil is puffed slightly and the pork is soft when pressed with tongs, with an internal temperature of about 180–185°F (82–85°C).
Tip: Opening the oven repeatedly lets heat and steam out and lengthens the cooking time.
5
Uncover and brownOven 300°F / 150°C
- Carefully remove the foil, tilting it away from you to avoid the steam.
- Check the liquid in the pan; if it has dropped below ½ inch (1.25 cm), add ½ cup (120 ml) hot water.
- Return the pan, uncovered, to the oven and roast at 300°F (150°C) for another 1½ hours (up to 2 hours if needed), until the crust is deep mahogany and the pork reaches 195–205°F (90–96°C) in the thickest part, away from the bone.
- A thermometer or a skewer should slide in with almost no resistance.
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Ready when: Internal temperature is 195–205°F (90–96°C), the crust is dark brown and the bone wiggles freely when twisted.
Tip: The sugar in the rub can darken quickly. If the crust looks nearly black before the pork is tender, tent it loosely with foil and keep roasting.
6
Rest the roast
- Remove the pan from the oven.
- Transfer the pork to a large cutting board or rimmed baking sheet, tent loosely with foil, and let it rest for 30 minutes.
- Leave the onions and juices in the pan.
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Ready when: The pork is cool enough to handle with a kitchen towel or gloves, and steam has slowed.
Tip: Do not skip the rest; shredding right away lets juices run out onto the board.
7
Make the pan sauce
- While the pork rests, pour the contents of the pan, onions, garlic and juices, through a fine strainer into a fat separator or a large measuring jug, pressing on the onions.
- Let the fat rise for 5 minutes, then skim it off with a spoon (or pour off the juices from underneath).
- You should have about 2 cups (480 ml) of juices.
- Discard the fat, or save a little to moisten the meat.
- Taste the juices and add a pinch of salt only if needed.
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Ready when: The juices are dark amber and the fat is cleanly separated on top.
Tip: The juices are already seasoned from the rub, so taste before adding more salt.
8
Pull and serve
- Remove and discard the bone (it should slide out clean) and any large pockets of un-rendered fat.
- Using two forks or meat claws, shred the pork into bite-sized pieces, mixing the crust in with the tender meat.
- Drizzle about 1 cup (240 ml) of the skimmed juices over the pork and toss lightly.
- Serve warm with the remaining juices on the side.
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Ready when: The meat is moist, glistening and pulls apart easily with no tough, rubbery pieces.
Tip: Shred while the pork is still warm; cold pork is harder to pull and soaks up less juice.

Good to know

Tips

Go by temperature and feel, not the clock. Shoulders vary, and the pork is ready when a probe slides in with almost no resistance at 195–205°F (90–96°C).
If the pork stalls around 160–170°F (71–77°C) for an hour or more, that is normal as collagen melts. Keep the oven at 300°F and be patient.
For a crisper, more bark-like crust, after resting, shred the outer crust pieces and broil them on a baking sheet 2–3 minutes until the edges crisp, watching closely.
A smaller 4–5 lb (1.8–2.3 kg) shoulder will take about 4–5 hours total; start checking for tenderness after 3½ hours.

Make ahead

"Rub the pork up to 24 hours ahead and refrigerate uncovered. You can also roast the pork completely a day ahead: shred it, toss with the juices, cool, and refrigerate in an airtight container. Reheat gently, covered, at 300°F (150°C) for 25–30 minutes."

Storage & reheating

"Cool within 2 hours. Refrigerate shredded pork with its juices in an airtight container for up to 4 days. Freeze in portions with juices for up to 3 months and thaw overnight in the refrigerator. Reheat covered in a 300°F (150°C) oven for 20–30 minutes, or in a covered skillet over low heat with a splash of juices or water, until steaming hot (165°F / 74°C). Do not leave at room temperature more than 2 hours."

Substitutions

sweet paprika → smoked paprika. Gives a barbecue-style, smoky flavor. Use the same amount, or replace half the sweet paprika for a milder smoke.
light or dark brown sugar → coconut sugar or maple sugar. Use the same amount; the crust will be slightly less sticky but still caramelized.
apple cider vinegar → white wine vinegar or apple juice. Use the same amount. Apple juice gives a sweeter sauce, so reduce the brown sugar slightly if you prefer.
low-sodium chicken broth or water → water or light beer. Water gives a cleaner pork flavor; beer adds a malty depth. Use the same amount.