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Roast Pork 2 – Crispy Roast Pork Shoulder with Skin
Erwina

Crispy Roast Pork Shoulder with Skin (Crackling)

Juicy, tender slow-roasted pork shoulder with perfectly crispy, bubbly crackling — no scoring or overnight drying required.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 3 hours
Resting Time 25 minutes
Total Time 3 hours 45 minutes
Servings: 8 people
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 6 lb boneless pork shoulder or pork butt
  • 2 teaspoons fennel seeds
  • 3 teaspoons kosher salt
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons black pepper or more
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 large onion
  • 6 cloves garlic
  • 2 large carrots
  • 2 cups stock or broth veggie or beef, or dry white wine

Equipment

  • Roasting pan
  • Meat thermometer

Method
 

  1. Preheat the oven to 425°F/220°C.
  2. Dry the skin. Pat the pork skin dry with paper towels until it's extra well and thoroughly dry — this is the key to good crackling.
  3. Salt the skin and season well. Sprinkle the pork with kosher salt, black pepper, and fennel seeds, rub all over the meat, then add the olive oil.
  4. Vegetable bed. Place the onion, garlic, and carrot in a roasting pan, then place the pork shoulder skin side up on top of the vegetables. This elevates the pork slightly for even cooking, and the juices add flavor for delicious gravy.
  5. Add liquid to the bottom of the pan to keep the meat moist. You can use dry white wine, or vegetable or beef stock/broth.
  6. Low and slow. Lower the oven immediately to 325°F/160°C and cook the pork for 1.5 hours, uncovered. Covering the meat creates a steamy environment which makes soggy crackling.
  7. Level the pork skin. After 1.5 hours of roasting, take out the pork, then using a scrunched-up ball of aluminum foil, adjust the meat so the skin surface is as level as possible for even heat distribution. Return to the oven and cook for another 45 minutes to 1 hour, adding water to the bottom of the pan if needed.
  8. Crisp the crackling. Turn the oven up to 480-500°F/250°C, wrap the pork meat but leave the skin exposed, and cook for another 30 minutes until the skin is crisp and bubbly all over. Rotate the pan as needed for even crackling.
  9. Rest the meat. Once done cooking, rest the pork loosely covered with aluminum foil for about 20-30 minutes before carving.

Notes

Pro Tip: Keeping the skin elevated and dry is the key to perfect crackling. Always check doneness with a meat thermometer — pork shoulder is best at 190-195°F for tender, shreddable meat.
 
Adjust cooking time by weight:
- 1.5 kg / 3 lb: reduce the low-and-slow roasting time by 30 minutes, and start checking/leveling the skin at the 1-hour mark.
- 2-3 kg / 4-6 lb: follow the recipe timing as written.
- 3.5-4.5 kg / 7-8 lb: add 30-45 minutes to the low-and-slow roasting time, and add 1 extra cup of liquid to the pan to prevent drying.
 
Bonus Gravy: Skim the fat from the roasting pan, strain the roast vegetables and press out the juices. Heat a saucepan, whisk in a gravy mix (or plain flour), then add in 2 cups of boiling water mixed with 1/2 tablespoon Better Than Bouillon and a pinch of black pepper. Simmer until thickened and serve alongside the pork.