This simple Garlic and Herb Roast Pork Shoulder makes a great central dish to many menus. Roast pork shoulder is not fussy and is easy to make well. It is unctuous and fatty (in a good way) and is hard to mess up, which is especially nice when you're in entertainment mode.

You will find links for some of my recommended accompaniments below, but you can adjust the seasonings and sides for this roast to match many palates. This recipe describes slicing the roast to serve, but you can also shred the meat to adapt it to pulled-pork dishes.

Oven Roasted Pork Shoulder Overview

This recipe is a fairly simple one and is one that take well to flavor adjustments to accommodate different palates and a wide array of side dishes. I've kept things simple here, with just olive oil, salt, pepper, thyme, and garlic as my seasonings. You can fuss over how to handle your roast, but the reality is it's hard to mess this up.

When you're done roasting, you can remove the pork from the roasting pan and let it rest. If you're into gravy as I am, skim some of the fat from the pan and then deglaze the pan with some water or white wine and perhaps some mustard. A tiny bit of flour for body, if you like. Strain this if you feel fancy and then serve this with the pork.

Suggested Accompaniments

The menu I suggest for an imaginary summer evening meal with Maya Angelou includes Pickled Cherries, Spicy Mustard Cucumber Salad, and a Gin Fizz.

Oven Roasted Pork Shoulder also works really well as a base for pulled pork sandwiches, tacos, soups, and more. This recipe calls for a sizable portion of meat so leftovers are likely and can be dressed up in lots of ways to extend the pork across a few meals. Enjoy!

Oven Roasted Pork Shoulder with Garlic and Herbs

---

• Author: Abigail @ To Feed You
• Total Time: 4 hours 25 minutes
• Yield: 6 servings 1x

Print Recipe

Pin Recipe

Description

This is a great recipe for entertaining as it is fairly hands-off, leaving you time to chat with your company. It can be served warm or at room temperature so timing can be as relaxed as you like. 

 

---

Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

4 lb Boneless Pork Shoulder

2-3 Tablespoons Olive Oil

4-6 cloves of garlic, minced

4 sprigs fresh thyme (or more to taste)

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

2 teaspoons kosher salt (or more to taste)

½ cup dry white wine (optional, for deglazing pan)

1 tablespoons dijon mustard (optional, for deglazing pan)

---

Instructions

1. Preheat your oven to 475 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Mash together the garlic, thyme, salt, and pepper in a small bowl. Mix in the olive oil. 
3. Using your hand (or a pastry brush), spread the combined seasonings over all sides of your pork shoulder. 
4. Place a roasting rack in a roasting pan. Place the seasoned pork shoulder on the rack and place the pan in your preheated oven. 
5. Roast the pork for 30 minutes. Then reduce the temperature to 325 degrees F. 
6. Continue roasting for approximately 2 hours, or until the internal temperature of the shoulder reaches 145 degrees F. 
7. Remove the pan from the oven and set the rack. Cover the shoulder with foil and allow it to rest for 5 minutes to 2 hours, depending on your timing and your desired serving temperature. Slice into ½" slices and serve. 
8. Optional: If you would like to make a pan sauce from the drippings: Set the roasting pan over two burners on your stove, turning them both to medium heat. Remove excess fat from the drippings. Add the white wine to the drippings and allow the liquids to come to a simmer. Add the dijon mustard and allow the sauce to thicken to your liking. Serve with the roast pork. This will not sit well, so I recommend serving this immediately or reheating just before you plan to eat if you are allowing your pork to cool.

Notes

• If you've got the time, you can coat the pork in the seasoned olive oil paste the day before you roast it. If you choose to do this, wrap the shoulder in plastic wrap and refrigerate it overnight. Take it out of the fridge the next morning and allow the roast to come to room temp before you roast it (step 4). 
• On a hot summer day, I like to enjoy this pork casually at room temperature with fresh and bright side dishes. 

• Prep Time: 25 minutes
• Cook Time: 240 minutes
• Method: Roasting

Nutrition

• Serving Size:
• Calories: 180
• Sugar: 0 g
• Sodium: 519 mg
• Fat: 7.9 g
• Carbohydrates: 1.4 g
• Protein: 21 g
• Cholesterol: 62.2 mg

Keywords: Pork, Roast, Garlic, Herbs