Serves 14
140 min
Garlic & Herb Roast Pork with Cider Gravy
Recipe GLPR77dab08f603f55
A stunning centerpiece featuring a 2kg pork shoulder joint, scored and stuffed with garlic slivers, fresh rosemary, thyme, and bay leaves. The skin is roasted until golden and crackling while the meat becomes tender and juicy. A savory cider-based gravy made from the roasting pan drippings complements the succulent pork perfectly. Serves 14.
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Ingredients
2kg pork shoulder joint, rolled and tied with skin scored
4 garlic cloves, sliced into thin slivers
1 small bunch Small bunch of fresh rosemary, broken into small sprigs
1 small bunch Small bunch of fresh thyme, roughly chopped
8 bay leaves, torn
1 onion, roughly chopped
1 large carrot, chopped
1 tbsp sunflower oil
2 tbsp plain flour
100ml good-quality cider
600ml chicken stock
Salt and black pepper to taste
Directions
For best results, rub salt over the pork skin up to a day before cooking and place uncovered in the refrigerator. Preheat your oven to 230°C (210°C fan/gas mark 8). Turn the pork so the skin side faces down. Using a small sharp knife, make about eight deep incisions along the flesh of the pork. Into each incision, carefully insert a garlic sliver, a small sprig of rosemary, a small amount of chopped thyme, and a torn piece of bay leaf. Turn the pork back to skin-side up. If you haven't already salted the skin, do so now.
Scatter the chopped onion and carrot pieces across the base of a shallow roasting tray. Position the pork on top of the vegetables, skin-side up. Rub the sunflower oil all over the pork skin. Place the tray in the preheated oven and roast for 10 minutes at 230°C. After 10 minutes, reduce the oven temperature to 180°C (160°C fan/gas mark 4) and continue roasting for 1 hour and 40 minutes. Check the crackling at the end—if it is not sufficiently crisp and golden, increase the temperature back to 230°C and check every 5 minutes until the skin crackles perfectly.
Carefully transfer the roasted pork to a cutting board or serving platter and allow it to rest for at least 10 minutes. The pork should reach a safe internal temperature of 165°F (63°C). Pour off nearly all the fat from the roasting tray, leaving about 2 tablespoons behind. If your roasting tray is heat-safe, place it directly over medium heat on the stovetop; otherwise, transfer the tray contents to a shallow saucepan on the hob.
Sprinkle the flour over the vegetables and roasting juices in the tray or saucepan. Stir continuously until the mixture becomes a thick, dark amber paste. Pour in the cider and let it bubble gently, stirring occasionally, until the mixture thickens into a paste again. Gradually pour in the chicken stock while stirring, then simmer gently for 8 to 10 minutes until the gravy reaches your desired thickness and coats the back of a spoon.
Strain the gravy through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean saucepan, pressing the cooked vegetables gently to extract all liquid. Return the strained gravy to the heat and simmer briefly, then season to taste with salt and black pepper. Using a sharp serrated knife, slice the rested pork and crackling into portions. Serve with seasonal vegetables of your choice and the warm cider gravy on the side.
