Roasting Pork Shoulder: How Long Does It Take?

Cooking a pork shoulder in a roaster is a great way to get juicy, tender meat with a crispy, crunchy exterior. The cooking time will depend on the weight of the joint and the desired internal temperature. For example, a 10-pound pork shoulder roast will take between 7 and 10 hours to reach an internal temperature of 180°F. It's important to note that the shape of the roast and the accuracy of the oven temperature can affect cooking time, so it's a good idea to check the internal temperature regularly as it cooks.

How to prepare a pork shoulder for roasting

A pork shoulder is a large cut of meat that is usually very reasonably priced. You can oven-roast it, smoke it, or grill it.

Bone-in vs Boneless Pork Shoulder

You can buy a pork shoulder with or without the bone. The bone-in version will give you a more flavoursome dish, but the boneless option is easier to cut.

Preparing the Pork Shoulder

First, rinse the pork shoulder and pat it dry with paper towels. Then, score the skin with a sharp knife, making deep slashes. This will allow the spice rub to soak into the meat.

Spice Rub

The spice rub is a dry mixture of simple ingredients. Coat the exterior of the pork skin with the rub.

Fat Cap

Leave the fat cap on while roasting. This will keep the meat moist and tender.

Roasting the Pork Shoulder

Place the pork shoulder on a rack in a roasting pan. You can roast it with the fat side up or down. Roasting it fat-side down will give the top a nice crust, but leaving the fat on top will baste the pork as it cooks.

Cooking Time and Temperature

Roast the pork shoulder at a high temperature first, and then lower the heat and roast for several hours. The exact cooking time will depend on the weight of the joint. For example, a 4-pound pork shoulder will take about 4 hours to cook, whereas a 10-pound joint will take 7 to 8 hours.

Cooking times and temperatures for different weights of pork shoulder

The cooking time and temperature for pork shoulder depend on the weight of the cut and whether you want to roast, slow-roast, or slow-cook the meat.

For a roast, preheat the oven to 450°F. Place the pork shoulder on a rack in a roasting pan. After 45 minutes, remove the pork shoulder from the oven and decrease the heat to 225°F. Tent tin foil over the roast and return to the oven. Check and baste the roast with liquids from the pan every hour, adding more chicken broth if needed. Roast for about 7 to 8 hours, or until the internal temperature is 170-175°F.

For a slow-roast, preheat the oven to 450°F. Place the pork shoulder in a roasting pan. After 20 minutes, turn the heat down to 325°F and continue to cook until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the shoulder reads 185°F, about 4 hours.

For a slow-cook, preheat the oven to 450°F. Place the pork in a shallow roasting pan and roast, uncovered, for 20-30 minutes, until the top starts to brown a bit. Turn the heat down to 250°F and continue to cook, uncovered, for 4 to 8 hours, depending on the weight of the pork shoulder. For a 6-pound roast, cook for 6 to 8 hours. For a 4-pound roast, cook for 4 to 5 hours. For a 5-pound roast, cook for 5 to 7 hours. For a 3-pound roast, cook for 4 to 5 hours.

How to get crispy crackling

Preparation

Firstly, ensure you are using the best cut of meat for crispy crackling. A boneless pork shoulder is ideal, as the skin is relatively flat, which allows for an even distribution of heat. This results in better crackling.

Next, dry the skin of the pork. This is an important step, as moisture is the enemy of crispy crackling. Pat the skin dry with paper towels, and, if possible, leave the pork uncovered in the fridge overnight to ensure the skin is completely dry.

Now, you can choose to score the skin, creating a diamond pattern by cutting shallow slashes in the skin. However, this step is not necessary and can be detrimental to achieving crispy crackling, as cutting through to the meat will cause juices to bubble up and wet the skin during cooking, resulting in rubbery patches.

Cooking

Place the pork, skin-side up, on a bed of garlic and onion in a roasting pan. Add a liquid of your choice—such as wine, cider, or broth—to the pan. Be careful not to wet the skin. The liquid will prevent the pan juices from burning and create a steamy environment to keep the flesh moist.

Roast the pork uncovered at a low temperature (around 320°F/160°C) for 2 to 2.5 hours. This slow-roasting process will tenderize the meat and begin to dry out the skin.

After the initial slow roast, it's time to level the skin to ensure even crisping. Use scrunched-up balls of foil to prop up and level out the surface of the pork skin. Return the pork to the oven and continue roasting at the low temperature for another hour.

Finally, to achieve the crispy crackling, crank up the oven temperature to its highest setting (at least 450°F/230°C) and blast the pork for 30 minutes to 1 hour, rotating the pan as needed. Any elevated parts of the skin will crisp up before the lower parts, so use foil patches to cover the areas that are done to prevent them from burning.

Serving

Once you've achieved the desired level of crispness, remove the pork from the oven and allow it to rest for 15 to 20 minutes. This resting period is crucial, as it allows the juices to redistribute throughout the meat, ensuring a juicy and flavorful roast.

When serving, be sure not to pour gravy over the crispy crackling, as this will make it soggy. Instead, move the crackling to the side and drizzle the gravy onto the meat.

Enjoy your perfectly crispy crackling!

How to rest the meat

Resting your meat is an important step in the cooking process. While it may be tempting to skip this step, resting your meat will ensure that it is tender, juicy, and delicious.

When you remove the pork shoulder from the oven, the surface is very hot, and the internal temperature is forcing moisture to the surface. If you were to cut into the meat right away, the juices would end up on your cutting board and be lost. By allowing the meat to rest, the internal temperature drops slightly, giving the meat a chance to reabsorb the moisture.

The minimum time you should rest a pork shoulder is about 15 minutes. The internal temperature of the meat will continue to rise during this time, so you may see a rise of about 10 degrees from when you remove the roast to when you shred it. The ideal resting time for a pork shoulder that is around six to eight pounds and has an internal temperature of 195-205 degrees Fahrenheit is about 45 minutes.

The longest you should let a pork shoulder rest is about two hours. After this point, the temperature will have dropped to a level approaching the danger zone, where harmful bacteria can grow.

There are several methods you can use to rest your meat, each with its own benefits and drawbacks:

• Resting the meat in the foil used during cooking. This is convenient, but the crispy bark you worked hard to create may become soggy.
• Unwrapping the meat and placing it in a glass baking dish, tented with aluminum foil. This helps prevent the bark from getting chewy and allows the meat to cool slightly more quickly.
• Simply unwrapping the roast and placing it in a glass baking dish, uncovered, or in the oven at the lowest temperature. This is the best way to maximize the crunchy bark texture, but you will need to keep a close eye on the internal temperature as the pork butt can cool very quickly.
• Wrapping the pork in pink butcher paper, which offers a good compromise between the above methods and helps to keep all the juices from the roasted meat together.

One trick to help maintain the temperature while resting a large piece of meat is to use a clean cooler, which works well for trapping heat and preventing a rapid drop in temperature.

What to serve with pork shoulder

There are many side dishes that go well with pork shoulder, especially when it's cooked slowly over a few hours. Here are some ideas:

Fruits and Vegetables

• Green beans and mushrooms with shallots
• Grilled asparagus
• Grilled corn on the cob
• Sautéed kale with onion and garlic
• Sweet potato home fries
• Avocado and quinoa salad
• Warm Brussels sprouts with anchovy vinaigrette
• Mashed sweet potatoes with roasted garlic
• Baked sweet potatoes
• Roasted potatoes
• Air fryer potato wedges
• Air fryer carrots
• Grilled radishes with garlic and dill butter
• Strawberry spinach salad
• Watermelon, arugula, and feta salad
• Broccoli, bacon, dried cranberries, sunflower seeds, and cheese salad
• Classic wedge salad with homemade blue cheese dressing
• Classic Mexican street corn (Elote)
• Pesto spaghetti squash
• Vegan creamed spinach

Other

• Spoonbread corn pudding
• Pulled pork stuffed sweet potatoes
• Creamy and spicy chipotle coleslaw
• Stovetop mac and cheese
• Corn and black bean pasta salad
• Crispy buffalo smashed potatoes
• Coleslaw orzo salad
• Tex-Mex pasta salad
• Air fryer sweet potato fries
• Feta corn salad
• BBQ pulled pork egg rolls
• Pork belly tacos with crunchy slaw
• Instant pot baked beans

Frequently asked questions