Slow-Roast Boned Shoulder of Pork with Chestnut Stuffing

Recipe by: Hugh Fearnley Whittingstall | from River Cottage Every Day

Cookstr

Course: Main Course

Total Time: Half Day

Skill Level: Moderate

Cost: Moderate

slow-roast-boned-shoulder-of-pork-with-chestnut-stuffing

Photo by: Joseph DeLeo

Shoulder of pork, sometimes confusingly also called pork butt or Boston butt is economical and very tasty. It stands up well to long, slow cooking and is ideal for stuffing. You’ll need a sizable roast for this—anything under 4 pounds really isn’t worth stuffing.

Yield: Serves 8 to 10

INGREDIENTS

For the chestnut stuffing:

1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 onion, finely chopped
2 to 3 celery stalks, finely chopped
2 Golden Delicious apples, peeled, cored, and finely chopped
1 pound peeled cooked chestnuts, coarsely mashed with a fork
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh sage, thyme, or rosemary
Finely grated zest of 1 lemon
1 cup fresh white bread crumbs
1 egg, beaten
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 boned shoulder of pork, 4 to 6 pounds (ask your butcher to score the skin for you, if possible)
A few sprigs of thyme
3 tablespoons canola or olive oil
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
A glass of dry cider
1 teaspoon all purpose flour
1 to 1 1/3 cups chicken or pork stock

Directions

To make the stuffing, melt the butter in a large saucepan, add the onion and celery, and cook gently for 10 to 15 minutes, until softened. Remove from the heat, add the apples, chestnuts, herbs, lemon zest, bread crumbs, and egg, season well, and mix thoroughly. Let cool.

Preheat the oven to 425°F.

Layout the boned pork shoulder, skin side up, on a work surface. If the butcher hasn’t already done so, score the skin at ½-inch intervals with a sharp knife. Turn the meat over and spread the stuffing evenly over the flesh, leaving a margin around the edge. You will have some stuffing left over - this can be packed into a buttered ovenproof dish and put in the oven for the last 30 minutes of the pork’s cooking time. Rollup the meat and tie securely in several places with string. Put it into a smallish roasting pan (this ensures the juices don’t reduce and blacken too much) and tuck the thyme underneath it. Drizzle the oil over the skin, season well with salt and pepper, then massage the oil and seasoning into the skin with your fingers. Put in the oven for a 30-minute “sizzle.”

Remove from the oven, pour the cider and a glass of water into the dish, and turn the temperature down to 300°F. Cook for another 4 to 5 hours until the meat is very tender, then raise the heat to 375°F and roast for another 20 to 30 minutes to crisp up the crackling. Transfer the pork to a warm dish and let rest, uncovered, in a warm place for 20 minutes.

Pour off most of the fat from the roasting juices in the pan. Place the pan over low heat, sprinkle in the flour, and stir it into the juices to form a smooth paste. Add as much stock as you need to form a thin but tasty gravy, bring to a simmer, and cook for a few minutes. Taste and adjust the seasoning, then pour into a warm gravy bowl.

Cut the crackling from the pork and break it into large pieces. The pork should be tender enough to spoon or tear into thick shreds. Serve with the crackling, gravy, creamy mashed potatoes, and sautéed leeks or shredded savoy cabbage (or both).

Editor's Note

Nutritional information is based on 10 servings, 2 celery stalks, 1/8 teaspoon of added salt per serving, a 4 pound shoulder of pork, 8oz dry cider, and 1 cup of chicken stock.

NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION

Nutrients per serving (% daily value)

Calories 480kcal (24%)

Sodium 374mg (16%)

Total Carbohydrate 42g

Fiber 4g

Fat 15g (23%)

Trans Fat 0g

Saturated Fat 4g (18%)

Monounsaturated Fat 6g

Polyunsaturated Fat 2g

Cholesterol 143mg (48%)