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Katie's Cucina » Recipes » Pork

Shoulder Roast

Published: Oct 6, 2020 · Modified: Oct 4, 2022 by Katie · This post may contain affiliate links

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White plate with pork roast, gravy, and mashed potatoes with text on image for Pinterest.
Two photos of a pork roast in a green pot and plated with mashed potatoes.
Two photos of a pork roast in a pot and sliced on a plate with text on image for Pinterest.
Top view of a tray of sliced pork with text on image for Pinterest.
Top view of a white platter fililed with sliced roasted pork and gravy.
Two photos of sliced pork with gravy and a roast in a cast iron pot.

Looking for the ultimate comfort food dinner recipe? This shoulder roast recipe is sure to be a new favorite main dish dinner. This gluten free/ dairy free pork roast comes together in about 3 hours time.

Top view of a white plate with mashed potatoes and sliced pork roast with gravy.

I love a good shoulder roast simmering on the stove top then baking in the oven for a few hours, low and slow on the weekend. I am a traditionalist and love to enjoy classic comfort food dinner on a Sunday. I wish I could bottle up the aroma of the pork roast with tomatoes that fills the house while it roast in the oven.

I always serve my pork shoulder roast with mashed potatoes and at least one vegetable like my favorite green bean recipe or even honey carrots. The mashed potatoes and vegetables always compliment the slow cooked pork.

Top view of a cast iron green pot with a pork roast with tomatoes.

In this post you will learn the following information.

  • 🥘Ingredients
  • 🔪Directions
  • ⭐FAQs
  • 💭Tips & Tricks
  • 📋Recipes

Ingredients

Ingredients: chicken broth, pork shoulder, tomatoes, onion, garlic, oil, seasonings.
  • Pork Shoulder – This cut of meat is also known as a picnic roast or you can even use a Boston Butt. I prefer boneless pork shoulder, but a bone-in pork shoulder works too.
  • Seasonings – Salt, black pepper, and smoked paprika, are the seasonings I used for this pork roast with tomatoes.
  • Grapeseed Oil – I love using grapeseed oil whenever I’m cooking at high heat. This will provide a perfect sear as grapeseed oil has a high smoke point.
  • Onion and garlic – Both the onion and garlic is infused in the meat and sauce making for an additional layer of flavor in the sauce.
  • Grape Tomatoes – You can use any variety of small tomatoes; grape or cherry tomatoes.
  • Chicken Broth – I love to use chicken broth, but make sure it’s a low-sodium chicken broth.
  • Red-Wine Vinegar – A little goes a long way. The acidity of the vinegar cooks off over time and adds a little zing to the gravy.
  • Cornstarch – I always use cornstarch for gravy. It thickens it up without making it pasty.

Directions

Four photos of process of browning and cooking a pork roast.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Season pork with salt, pepper, and paprika. In a large cast iron pot, heat 1 tablespoon grapeseed oil over medium heat. Add pork, fatty side down, and cook, turning each side until all sides are browned (about 10 minutes).

Remove pork from the pot and add the onion. Cook until golden about 3 minutes, then add garlic, cooking for an additional 30 seconds. Add tomatoes to the pot and season with more salt and pepper. Add broth and red wine vinegar. Cook, stirring and scraping up browned bits from the bottom of the pan.

Two photos of a pork roast cooking in a green pot.

Return pork to pot ( leaving the tomatoes and broth still in the pot). Bring the roast to a boil over high on the stove top. Once the pork has come to a boil, cover, and transfer to oven; cooking for one hour.

Remove the pot from the oven, and carefully turn the pork. Return back to the oven and cook covered for an additional hour. Using a meat thermometer make sure the internal temperature of the pork reaches at the very minimum 145 degrees.

Transfer pork to a cutting board and let it rest for 15 minutes.

While the pork rest, bring the liquid to a boil. Whisk together the cornstarch and ½ cup of the liquid. Stir in the cornstarch slurry and cook until sauce is thick. Slice pork and serve with gravy.

Top view of a plated pork roast dinner with mashed potatoes and gravy.

FAQs

Is pork shoulder the same as Boston butt?

According to Cook’s Illustrated “Both come from the shoulder of the pig, but pork butt is higher on the foreleg, while pork shoulder is farther down.” Because of this they are both excellent cost effective cuts of meat for slow cooking.

What is pork shoulder roast used for?

Both pork butt and pork shoulder are perfect for cooking low and slow for a few hours. They are a fattier cut and break down over the low-and-slow cooking method in roasts or even stews.

How long do you cook a pork shoulder for?

Depending on the size of the pork shoulder will depend on how long. For this recipe, a 3 pound cut of pork shoulder will cook at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 2 hours.

Top view of a sliced pork roast on a white platter.

Tips & Tricks

Here are a few of my favorite tips and tricks I’ve found helpful when making this pork shoulder roast.

  • Season – Adding a dry rub to the pork shoulder prior to cooking will help infuse the flavors into the pork.
  • Marinate – If you want additional flavor, you can apply the dry rub to the pork shoulder a few hours prior or even up to 12 hours before cooking allowing the pork shoulder blade roast time to marinate.
  • Boston Butt – This is a very similar cut to the pork shoulder so you can use either. They are both a fatty cut of meat which makes it perfect for slow roasting.
  • Fat – Don’t be afraid to cut off any excess fat if the pork shoulder picnic roast has a lot on the exterior of the meat.
  • Rest – After the pork roast is done cooking let it rest outside the pot for at least 10 minutes.
White plate with sliced pork roast with mashed potatoes and gravy.

Pork Recipes

If you love this pork roast with tomatoes recipe I think you’ll love these other pork recipes.

  • Apple Butter Pork Chops
  • Skillet Italian Pork Chops
  • Slow Cooker Barbecue Pork with Black Beans
  • Instant Pot Pot Roast

If you make this bone-in pork shoulder roast recipe oven, I would be honored and love for you to take the time to leave a star rating and comment! I spend hours developing and testing these recipes, and always love to hear feedback and user experience!

Don’t forget to FOLLOW ME on Facebook, Pinterest, and Instagram, and subscribe to my email list!

Top view of a cast iron green pot with a pork roast with tomatoes.

Shoulder Roast

Looking for the ultimate comfort food dinner recipe? This shoulder roast recipe is sure to be a new favorite main dish dinner. This gluten free/ dairy free pork roast comes together in about 3 hours time.
5 from 1 vote
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Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Diet: Gluten Free, Low Lactose
Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes
Cook Time: 2 hours hours 30 minutes minutes
Resting Time: 15 minutes minutes
Total Time: 3 hours hours
Servings: 8
Calories: 318kcal
Author: Katie

Equipment

  • Cast Iron Pot
  • Stove Top
  • Oven

Ingredients

  • 3 lbs. Pork Shoulder
  • 1 teaspoon Salt
  • ¼ teaspoon Black Pepper
  • 1 tablespoon Smoked Paprika
  • 1 tablespoon Grapeseed Oil
  • 1 White Onion thinly sliced
  • 2 cloves Garlic minced
  • 2 pints Grape Tomatoes
  • 2-½ cups Low-Sodium Chicken Broth
  • 2 tablespoons Red-Wine Vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons Cornstarch

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
  • Season pork with salt, pepper, and paprika. In a large cast iron pot, heat 1 tablespoon grapeseed oil over medium heat. Add pork, fatty side down, and cook, turning each side until all sides are browned (about 10 minutes).
  • Remove pork from the pot and add the onion. Cook until golden about 3 minutes, then add garlic, cooking for an additional 30 seconds. Add tomatoes to the pot and season with more salt and pepper. Add broth and red wine vinegar. Cook, stirring and scraping up browned bits from the bottom of the pan.
  • Return pork to pot ( leaving the tomatoes and broth still in the pot). Bring the roast to a boil over high on the stove top. Once the pork has come to a boil, cover, and transfer to oven; cooking for one hour.
  • Remove the pot from the oven, and carefully turn the pork. Return back to the oven and cook covered for an additional hour. Using a meat thermometer make sure the internal temperature of the pork reaches at the very minimum 145 degrees.
  • Transfer pork to a cutting board and let it rest for 15 minutes.
  • While the pork rest, bring the liquid to a boil. Whisk together the cornstarch and ½ cup of the liquid. Stir in the cornstarch slurry and cook until sauce is thick. Slice pork and serve with gravy.

Notes

  • Pork Shoulder is also known as Boston Butt. If you cannot find a boneless pork shoulder you can use a bone-in pork shoulder. However, you will need to use a spoon with slotted holes to remove any bone fragments from the dish.
  • Slow Cooker – If you want to make this recipe in the slow cooker you will still sear the meat and caramelize the onions–basically the directions up until it should go in the oven. Set the roast on low for 8-10 hours. The goal is to get the meat fork-tender since it’s a tougher/fattier cut of meat! If you want a gravy for the roast–you’ll need to transfer the liquids after the roast is done cooking and make the gravy.

Nutrition

Serving: 0.5oz. | Calories: 318kcal | Carbohydrates: 9g | Protein: 36g | Fat: 15g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 114mg | Sodium: 450mg | Potassium: 964mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 1427IU | Vitamin C: 19mg | Calcium: 45mg | Iron: 3mg
Tried this Recipe? Tag me Today!Mention @KatieJasiewicz or tag #katiescucina!

Disclosure: There are affiliate links present in this post. That means if you click on a link and purchase something. I will receive a small percentage of the sale at no additional cost to you. Thank you for your continuous support of Katie’s Cucina!

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About Katie

Katie is a busy mom of 2 children who loves to feed her family delicious meals that don't take hours to cook! She started her blog 15 years ago as a way to help others get cooking in the kitchen.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. david concannon

    September 25, 2021 at 9:34 am

    5 stars
    Great recipe. But as an Irish guy living in France, I tweaked it a bit. I used a cajun spice rub and added diced bell green peppers and celery to the onions and garlic. I also just put a few small charlotte potatoes into the pot to cook with the pork, so a one pot meal.

    Truly awesome t, so thank you from across the pond8

    Reply
    • Katie

      September 27, 2021 at 1:26 pm

      David, thank you so much for taking the time to leave a 5-star review. I love the tweaks you made to this recipe!

  2. Sandy

    October 07, 2020 at 8:14 am

    Katie, have you done this in a slow cooker?

    Reply
    • Katie

      October 08, 2020 at 9:28 am

      Hi Sandy, I have not made this particular recipe, but you can definitely cook it in the slow cooker. I would still sear the meat and caramelize the onions–basically the directions up until it should go in the oven. Then you can set it on low for 8-10 hours. The goal is to get it fork-tender since it’s a tougher/fattier cut of meat! If you want a gravy for it–you’ll need to transfer the liquids after the roast is done cooking and make the gravy. Good luck and let me know how it turns out!

  3. Don Johnson

    November 17, 2019 at 10:00 pm

    Amazing! So delicious. I was looking for a recipe to use up the heirloom tomatoes from this summer that I blanched and froze. I had thawed a pork roast and thought there must be a good recipe to use both. Well, I love pork, like your husband, and this sounded good but I also had a bunch of garden herbs from the greenhouse I built this past spring. Fresh basil, purple basil and Thai basil plus thyme and parsley with some pink Himalayan salt and I threw in some red yellow and orange peppers. It was heavenly over the golden mashed potatoes. Can’t wait to have seconds tomorrow!

    Reply
    • Katie

      November 18, 2019 at 10:25 pm

      Hi Don! So happy to read that you loved this recipe as much as we do!

  4. Ashley

    December 08, 2017 at 4:52 pm

    This has been my go-to pork roast recipe ever since I found your website a few years ago. It is so good! Everyone always loves it, even the picky ones 😉 I usually don’t have any fresh tomatoes when I decide to make it, so I use a couple cans of undrained diced tomatoes instead, and I like to use one Tbsp red wine vinegar and one Tbsp balsamic. I can’t bring myself to discard the leftover sauce, so I just hoard it in my freezer and I discovered accidentally that it makes superb spaghetti sauce!

    Reply
    • Katie

      December 12, 2017 at 2:21 pm

      Ashley–thank you for taking the time to leave a comment. I love that your family loves this. Funny–I haven’t made this in forever! Adding it to my meal plan next week! I’ll have to try your version!

  5. Teresa, www.foodonfifth.com

    January 08, 2012 at 3:23 am

    Oh mercy are those mashed potatoes with your wonderful pork? I just realized looking at this how hungry I am for something like this. Thanks for reminding me to eat!

    Reply
  6. Danielle

    January 07, 2012 at 3:55 pm

    We love pork – this looks great!

    Reply
5 from 1 vote

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I'm Katie Jasiewicz: home cook, food blogger, and recipe developer. A busy mom of two children who loves to feed her family delicious meals that don’t take hours to cook! My mission is to create easy-to-make modern comfort food for the busy family. (more)

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