Slow
Roast Pork Shoulder
Recipe

........perfect for entertaining

TIPS
This roast pork shoulder recipe works so much better with organic pork - the improvement in texture and flavours is worth paying the extra for! Ask your butcher to leave the skin on, score it deeply, and then roll and tie it with string.

If you can't get hold of fresh peaches, you can use small dessert apples instead. Simply use an apple corer to remove the cores, slice in half horizontally and fill as for peaches.

Slow Roasted Shoulder of Pork
Crispy Crackling
and Baked Stuffed Peaches

1 small whole, boned shoulder of pork, about 6-7lb (2.75-3.25kg) in weight
Salt & freshly ground black pepper
Juice of 2 lemons
3 tablespoons of olive oil

STUFFED PEACHES
8-10 small fresh peaches
Juice of 1 lemon
1lb (500g) good quality pork sausage meat
4oz (100g) fresh white breadcrumbs
1 rounded dessertspoon chopped fresh parsley
2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
1 beaten egg
A little melted butter
8 small thyme sprigs
Salt & freshly ground black pepper

METHOD

• Preheat the oven to 450°F/230°C/Gas mark 8.

• Rub one tablespoon of oil really well all over the surface of the pork. Season with the black pepper and then generously with the salt (this helps the skin to become really crisp) and rub it into the surface firmly.

• Place the pork onto a wire rack in a roasting tin and roast for 30 minutes until the skin just starts to crackle up. Take the pork from the oven, pour over the lemon juice and two tablespoons of oil. Now turn the oven down to 250°F/120°C/Gas mark 1/2. Leave the pork to roast for 10 to 12 hours (yes, I did say ten to twelve hours!). This roast pork shoulder recipe requires LONG, SLOW cooking.
  

• Baste the pork twice or 3 times with a little of the juices in the roasting tin.
  

.......this really is such an easy pork roast recipe!

TIP
If you have a fan oven, adjust the temperature accordingly.

NOW PREPARE THE STUFFED PEACHES

• Cut the peaches in half and remove the stones. Brush the cut surface with lemon juice (to prevent discolouration).

• To prepare the stuffing for the pork roast, in a basin mix together the sausage meat, breadcrumbs, beaten egg, chopped parsley and thyme and a good seasoning of salt and freshly milled pepper.
  

• Divide the stuffing into 8-10. Roll it into balls and pop it into the centre of each peach.
  

• Cover with cling wrap and refrigerate.
  

Now you can virtually forget about the pork for the rest of the day! This roast pork shoulder recipe simply cooks itself!

• Approximately 45 minutes before the cooking time is up, turn the heat back up to 450°F/230°C/Gas mark 8. Then just leave the roast alone for about 30 minutes until the crackling is really crisp and brown.

Tip for extra, extra crisp crackling: Remove the meat from the oven and using a sharp knife cut the crackling away from the meat. Put the crackling back on the meat rack (skin side upwards) and return it alone to the hot oven for about 20 minutes.

• Cover the pork loosely with foil and leave it standing while the peaches cook.
  

• Turn the oven down to 375°F/190°C/Gas mark 5.

• Put the peaches onto a lightly oiled baking sheet. Brush the tops and sides with a little melted butter. Place a sprig of thyme on each one and bake for 25 minutes.