This is a very tasty, inexpensive cut of meat. However it is not all that easy to find. What you are actually looking for is a pork shoulder which not only still has the bone in place but also still has the skin on. Both the bone and the skin add to the flavor of this cut of meat. Also the skin will provide “crackling” which is an excellent accompaniment.  

Put oven rack in the middle  and the set the oven to 425°F.

Firstly we need to get the pork ready for roasting.

Rinse the pork shoulder in cold water and the dry with paper kitchen towels. Most importantly make sure that the skin is absolutely dry. Now score the skin with a very sharp knife to almost all the way through the skin. Score every quarter of an inch.

Next rub the joint with olive oil all over and sprinkle all sides except the skin with salt and pepper. Set the joint on a rack in a roasting tin, skin side up. Rub the skin with kosher salt making sure that plenty goes into the scores.

When oven has reached temperature place roasting tin with the pork in the oven.

After 25 minutes reduce the temperature to 375°F.

Continue to roast the pork until the internal temperature reaches 165°F. This is probably going to be about 25 to 30 minutes per pound.

Once the internal temperature reaches 165°F remove the pork from the oven. Take a sharp boning knife and cut the crackling off the joint. Check it for doneness. It should be dark brown and very crispy. If not put it on a small roasting tin and return it to the oven. Remember to take it out of the oven when it is done.

Remove the remainder of the pork from the roasting tin onto a carving dish and cover with foil(shiny side down) and let it rest for at least 15 minutes.

Carve and serve onto warm plates.

There will probably be quite a lot of fat in the roasting tin, so pour most of it away just keeping a couple of tablespoons for gravy.

Return the roasting tin to the stove top and turn up the burner to medium. Add 2 tablespoons of multi-purpose flour and make a roux. Add some stock and keep stirring until it comes to the boil. Make sure you stir up all the bits that had got stuck to the bottom of the roasting tin. Add more stock to the consistency that you prefer, bring it to the boil and serve.

Roast potatoes and sprouts would be a good to serve with the pork and gravy and don’t forget the crackling.