Herb-Infused Slow-Roasted Pork Shoulder

Why This Herb-Infused Slow-Roasted Pork Shoulder Works

In the oven, the pork shoulder sits in low, steady heat for hours, so the tough parts slowly loosen up instead of tightening and drying out. All the fat and connective tissue inside the pork slowly melt and turn almost jelly-like, which keeps the meat moist and lets it pull apart easily. Because the temperature is only 300°F, the outside doesn’t burn while the inside is still tough; everything softens at a calm pace.

While it cooks, the olive oil and herbs rubbed on the outside sink into the surface of the meat. The chicken broth around the pork steams and keeps the pan moist, so the edges don’t dry out. Basting moves those pan juices back over the top, so the outside stays juicy too. During the last 30 minutes, the foil comes off and the surface finally dries enough to brown and form a tasty crust. After roasting, the rest time lets the hot juices settle back into the meat instead of running out on the cutting board.

Mistakes To Avoid

Letting the pork cook at a higher temperature than 300°F often makes the outside tough and dry before the inside has time to soften. The fat doesn’t slowly melt and soak into the meat, so the shoulder ends up chewy instead of pull-apart tender.

Pulling the pork out too early is another big problem. The shoulder might look done on the outside, but inside it stays tight and a bit rubbery, and the connective tissue hasn’t broken down, so the slices are hard to cut and don’t stay juicy.

Skipping the foil for most of the roasting time leaves the meat exposed to dry oven air. Instead of slowly steaming in its own juices and the broth, the surface dries out, the pan liquid evaporates too fast, and the meat shrinks and firms up.

Not letting the pork rest before slicing means the hot juices rush out onto the cutting board. The slices then look dry and dull, and the pan loses a lot of the moisture that was keeping the meat soft.