Chef John’s Paper Pork Shoulder

Description

This ‘paper pork’ was inspired by a technique for smoking beef brisket that involves wrapping the meat in parchment paper after a certain point in the cooking process, in an effort to keep the meat moist and succulent. I decided to try it for an oven-roasted pork shoulder, wrapping it from the beginning, and it came out so perfectly tender and juicy, I’ve been doing it that way ever since.

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons kosher salt
  • 1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
  • 1 tablespoon brown sugar
  • 2 teaspoons onion powder
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • 1 (7 pound) pork shoulder roast
  • Unbleached parchment paper
  • Heavy duty aluminum foil

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 225 degrees F (110 degrees C).
  2. Mix salt
  3. black pepper
  4. paprika
  5. brown sugar
  6. onion powder
  7. garlic powder
  8. and cayenne pepper together in a bowl.
  9. Sprinkle rub mixture evenly and thoroughly on each surface of the pork roast
  10. pressing it onto the surface.
  11. Cut a 4-foot piece of unbleached parchment. Place roast at one end and roll roast tightly in the parchment. Cut a second piece of parchment and roll the roast
  12. positioning it in the opposite direction before rolling.
  13. Cut a long piece of heavy duty aluminum foil and tightly wrap the parchment-wrapped roast. Wrap the roast in a second piece of foil
  14. and then a third
  15. rotating the position of the roast each time. Place wrapped roast in a roasting pan with folded edges facing up to minimize leaking.
  16. Place in preheated oven and roast until tender
  17. about 12 1/2 hours (or 1.75 hours per pound of pork).
  18. Remove pan from oven and allow the wrapped roast to rest at least 1 hour before unwrapping. Brush roast with accumulated juices in the parchment paper.

Prep Time: 15 mins

Cook Time: 12 hrs 30 mins

Total Time: 12 hrs 45 mins

Servings: 6

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