Pork Shoulder Roast With Dry Spice Rub

By
Peggy Trowbridge Filippone
Peggy Trowbridge Filippone
Peggy Trowbridge Filippone is a writer who develops approachable recipes for home cooks. Her recipes range from Grandma’s favorites to the latest food trends.
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Updated on 04/5/21
Roasted Pork Shoulder Roast recipe

The Spruce / Nita West

Prep: 20 mins
Cook: 3 hrs
Marinate and Resting Time: 9 hrs
Total: 12 hrs 20 mins
Servings: 6 to 8 servings

If you're cooking for a special occasion, try this recipe for pork shoulder roast to wow your dinner guests. Pork shoulder roast is inexpensive, but when prepared the right way it's so delicious that it proves you don't have to drop a lot of cash on pricier cuts of meat to make an impression. 

With this recipe, the roast is marinated in a dry spice rub and then slow-roasted in the oven to tender perfection. Because pork roast is not easy to slice into even portions, try carving it from the bones and serve it rustic-style, in large chunks.

Although this recipe is easy to follow, the marinade takes time to create, so don't wait until the last minute to make this dish. Plan to make it at least a few days ahead of time.

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Ingredients

  • 4 to 5 pounds pork shoulder roast

  • 1/4 cup brown sugar, packed

  • 2 tablespoons sweet Hungarian paprika

  • 2 teaspoons kosher salt

  • 1 teaspoon onion powder

  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder

  • 1 teaspoon dried sage (rubbed)

  • Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Ingredients for roasted pork shoulder

    The Spruce / Nita West

  2. To start, trim the tough skin from the pork shoulder, leaving a 1/4 inch layer of fat on the meat.

    Trim the skin

    The Spruce / Nita West

  3. Then, whisk together brown sugar, paprika, salt, onion powder, garlic powder, sage, and pepper to make a dry rub. If you don't have a whisk, use a fork as a substitute.

    Whisk together brown sugar, paprika and other dry ingredients

    The Spruce / Nita West

  4. Pat the dry rub into the exterior of the pork roast.

    Pat dry rub

    The Spruce / Nita West

  5. Place the pork in a large plastic bag, seal and refrigerate overnight for up to two days.

    Place pork in bag

    The Spruce / Nita West

  6. Remove the pork from the refrigerator 30 minutes prior to roasting and let it rest at room temperature to get the chill off. Preheat your oven to 425 F.

    Let pork rest

    The Spruce / Nita West

  7. Next, line a shallow roasting pan with foil, and insert a roasting rack.

    Line a roasting pan

    The Spruce / Nita West

  8. Place pork shoulder on the rack in the prepared pan, and roast for 30 minutes.

    Place pork shoulders on the rack

    The Spruce / Nita West

  9. Turn oven down to 325 F. Roast an additional 120 to 150 minutes, until the thickest part of the meat (not touching the bone) reaches 170 F on a meat thermometer.

    Roast

    The Spruce / Nita West

  10. Remove the pork shoulder roast from the oven, tent with foil and let rest for 30 minutes at room temperature before carving to serve.

    Serve Pork Shoulder

    The Spruce / Nita West

Recipe Variation

  • The good news about the dry rub is that it's equally delicious on chicken, both whole chickens, and parts. So, if you'd like to prepare the pork roast and chicken at the same time, double the dry rub portion of this recipe. 
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
858 Calories
61g Fat
7g Carbs
66g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 6 to 8
Amount per serving
Calories 858
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 61g 78%
Saturated Fat 22g 112%
Cholesterol 255mg 85%
Sodium 511mg 22%
Total Carbohydrate 7g 3%
Dietary Fiber 1g 3%
Total Sugars 6g
Protein 66g
Vitamin C 2mg 8%
Calcium 81mg 6%
Iron 4mg 24%
Potassium 992mg 21%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

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