We use Scott’s Free Range Pork which is reared on the South Downs above Storrington. It is remarkably good pork that is truly free-range, roaming South Downs pastures in small family groups. The pork shoulder is a versatile cut, which is fantastic as a Sunday roast but can be even better later in the week for leftovers.
The shoulder is ideal for the slow roast and it’s worth getting an extra-large piece so that you can make a few easy meals later in the week. Think pulled pork sliders, Chinese pancakes, ramen noodle soup or tacos. If you like your pork crackling, make sure to ask our butcher to score the shoulder for you.
First, start with the roast. The trick is to get the pork (at least 2kg on the bone) to room temperature, so get the pork out of the fridge and remove any packaging at least an hour before you cook. Rub plenty of salt into the scored skin, along with some ground pepper. Pat any moisture from the skin and place the pork skin side up in a roasting pan in a pre-heated oven (220°C) for 30 minutes until the skin starts to bubble up.
Then lower the oven temperature to 170°C. and wrap the pork in foil for 4.5 hours. You can then remove most of the liquid fat, remove the foil and add a mix of diced vegetables, garlic and herbs to the bottom of the pan with the pork on top, and finish for another hour, raising the oven temperature if necessary to get your crackling. You can make a gravy from the juices, then serve with mashed potato.
If there are any leftovers, then first up has to be a pulled pork sandwich. Shred the pork with two forks, re-heat if needed, add some BBQ sauce to taste and bung in a bap with coleslaw and coriander.
Pulled pork makes a superb (and cheap) alternative to duck in a Chinese pancake, with cucumber, spring onion, and hoisin sauce, and works well in salads, noodle soups and tacos.
