Stuffed, Braised Pork Shoulder

Pork shoulder roast, stuffed with a mixture of bread crumbs, garlic, and herbs, then braised in white wine with garlic, juniper berries, rosemary and herbs.

Ingredients

• 4 lb pork shoulder roast, boned
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 2 cups stock, beef, chicken, or pork (boiling)

Marinade:

• 1 cup dry white wine
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 sprig rosemary
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 teaspoon mixed dried herbs (can use an herbes de provence blend)
• 2 garlic cloves, lightly crushed
• 6 juniper berries, lightly bruised

Herb-stuffing:

• 2 Tbsp chopped parsley
• 1 teaspoon mixed dried herbs (herbes de provence)
• 2 garlic cloves
• Salt and pepper
• 1 egg
• 1/4 cup bread crumbs

Method

1 Combine all the marinade ingredients and put in the meat. Let it marinate in the refrigerator several hours, turning it occasionally. Remove from refrigerator and bring to room temperature before proceeding. Remove the meat from the marinade and pat it dry with paper towels. Reserve the marinade.

2 For the stuffing, pound the garlic to a purée with some salt and pepper. Combine the remaining stuffing ingredients until the mixture has the consistency of a paste.

3 Smear the stuffing onto the top surface of the meat. Tie up the meat to enclose the stuffing, resulting in a roughly spherical shape. Rub the meat with olive oil.

4 Place the meat in a large roasting pan and sear it in a pre-heated 425°F oven for 30 minutes or until the surface is golden brown.

Remove the meat to a Dutch oven just large enough to contain it. (We used a 2 1/2 quart Le Creuset.)

5 Drain off the fat from the roasting pan, then strain the marinade into the pan and heat, stirring to deglaze the pan juices. While deglazing, in a separate saucepan bring stock to a boil.

6 Pour the heated marinade over the meat and add enough boiling stock to come one-half or two-thirds of the way up the side of the meat. Cover the pot and place it in a 325°F oven for about one and a half hours, basting the meat occasionally. During the last half hour, remove the lid, increase the heat to 375°F and baste often to form a glaze.

7 Transfer the meat to a warmed platter. Strain the liquid from the pot into a small saucepan and simmer, skimming the fat, until the sauce is reduced and free of fat. Remove the strings from the meat, slice it or cut it into wedges, and serve with the sauce. Excellent served with mashed potatoes.

Yield: Serves 8.