Serves 12 +
Ingredients
- 1 whole shoulder of pork on the bone, about 7 to 8kg
- 3 onions, peeled and halved
- 6 carrots, peeled and cut into chunks
- 4 celery sticks, halved
- A bunch of mixed herbs such as sage, thyme, rosemary and bay
- 1 whole garlic bulb, halved horizontally
- 2 glasses of dry cider
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Method
Preheat the oven to 220°C, 200°C fan, Gas 7.
Scatter the onions, carrots and celery into a large, deep roasting tin. Add the herbs and garlic. Sit the pork shoulder on top of the vegetables. Don’t worry if the hock hangs slightly over the edge of the tin.
Score the skin with a sharp knife from the top of the shoulder right down to the bottom, then rub the whole joint well with salt and pepper.
Roast the pork for 35 to 40 minutes to get the crackling going. Once it is golden and blistered, remove the tin from the oven and pour the cider carefully into the base of the tin around the vegetables.
Cover the pork tightly with foil, crimping the edges well so the steam stays inside. Return the tin to the oven and turn the temperature down to 95°C, 85°C fan, Gas 1/4. Cook in the very low oven for 12 to 14 hours, overnight if that suits.
When the pork is ready, remove the tin from the oven and take off the foil. Lift away the crackling and return it to a hot oven for 5 to 10 minutes if it needs to crisp up further.
Use two forks to pull tender chunks of meat away from the bone. It should slip off easily. Pile the pulled pork into a clean, deep, ovenproof serving dish.
Strain the roasting juices and vegetables through a sieve into a warmed bowl, pressing the vegetables well to extract all their flavour. Stir the liquor, then ladle four or five spoonfuls over the meat.
Taste and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper, then serve.
