Slow roast pork that’s caramelised on the outside, ultra tender on the inside, with syrupy sweet-savoury-buttery juices. You could totally make this using a whole roast, but using large pieces means more surface area = more golden sticky caramelised goodness.
As I was thinking what to say about this recipe, a feeling of deja vu swept over me. I freaked out, wondering if I had already published it….
And then it suddenly dawned on me. This recipe is almost like the baked non-Asian version of Vietnamese Coconut Caramelised Pork!
The same sweet-savoury flavour with incredible caramelised surfaces, but this doesn’t have the Vietnamese flavours.
Also, this Roast Pork is also a bit more hands off because it’s roasted, rather than cooked on the stove. No stirring, just pop it in the oven and set the timer.
THE PORK
Ultra tender insides and golden caramelised outsides calls for a slow cooking cut of pork and for this one, I use pork shoulder aka pork butt.
It also works brilliantly with pork scotch roast aka pork neck / collar butt. It’s a brilliant pork cut widely available in Australia that’s suited to both fast and slow cooking. I throw pork scotch fillet steaks on the barbie, and I slow cook it for things like this pork roast and Chinese BBQ Pork (Char Siu). Here’s a photo of this Brown Sugar Garlic Butter Pork Roast made with scotch fillet roast cut in half lengthwise (see note 1 of recipe)
THAT BROWN SUGAR BUTTER BRAISING SAUCE!
Four ingredients – brown sugar, butter, vinegar (to balance out the sweet) and garlic, plus salt & pepper. Simmer to dissolve the sugar, then pour it all over the pork.
Pop it in the oven and out comes this:
THIS being the most incredible deeply golden, caramelised crust enclosed around juicy, tender pork, sitting in a buttery syrup that you want to drown the pork in.
Sweet? Yes. If you don’t like sweet-savoury foods, this recipe isn’t for you.
And it needs to be paired with the right protein. Sweet works brilliantly with pork. But this recipe would probably be too sweet for chicken. For beef, I think it would need a kick of something else to work with the strong beefy flavours, perhaps a good hit of cracked pepper.
I’m rambling. I’ll stop. Recipe time! – Nagi x
PS Pictured in the top photo with this Everyday Cabbage Salad peeking out of the corner. Extra recipe for today, goes great with this pork!!
MORE PORK SHOULDER RECIPES TO TRY
- Pork Carnitas – Mexican Slow Cooker Pulled Pork
- Roast Pork with Crispy Crackling
- Char Siu – Chinese BBQ Pork
- Slow Cooker Honey Garlic Pork Loin
- Cuban Mojo Roast Pork (from the Chef Movie!)
WATCH HOW TO MAKE IT
Recipe video above. Ultra tender pork with an insane caramelised crust and a buttery sweet-savoury sauce. The pairing of the sweet with the savoury is incredible in this pork roast!
- 1.75 - 2kg / 3.5 - 4lb pork shoulder / butt , cut into 8 equal pieces (Note 1)
- 1 tsp each salt and pepper
- 100 g / 7 tbsp unsalted butter
- 1/2 cup / 80g brown sugar , loosely packed
- 1/4 cup / 65 ml cider vinegar (white wine or red wine vinegar also fine)
- 4 garlic cloves , minced
- 1/4 tsp each salt and pepper
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Preheat oven to 160C/320F (standard) or 140C/290F (fan).
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Place Sauce ingredients in a saucepan over medium heat. Once better has melted, stir to combine then leave for 1 - 2 minutes until sugar is melted. Remove from heat.
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Sprinkle pork pieces all over with salt and pepper.
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Line pan with foil then parchment / baking paper, place pork in pan.
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Pour Sauce all over pork. Cover with foil. Bake for 1 hour 15 minutes.
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Remove from oven, remove foil. Turn pork. Return to oven uncovered for 20 minutes.
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Remove from oven. Turn pork, spoon pan juices over. Return to oven for 20 - 30 minutes or until pork is golden and sauce has reduced to a thin syrup (thickens more when it cools).
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Stand for 5 minutes, then turn pork to coat in sauce. Serve pork with syrupy pan sauce. Pictured in post with this Everyday Cabbage Salad.
1. Skinless, boneless pork shoulder / pork butt / Boston butt. I like cutting it into large chunks to maximise caramelised surface area. You could cut it in half horizontally or vertically to make 2 long strips. In which case, increase the covered cook time by 20 minutes.
This recipe also works brilliantly with pork scotch fillet (aka pork neck / collar butt), as pictured in post. Use one large piece then cut it in half (for higher surface to flesh caramelisation ratio, this is how it comes out) or cut into pieces per recipe. Either way, reduce cook time by 15 to 20 minutes - because this cut of pork is not as tough as shoulder so doesn't require as long for slow cooking. Scotch fillet is a brilliant cut for this recipe (photo here).
2. Slow Cooker directions (by popular demand!) - I haven't tried this but based on other slow cooker pork roast recipes I've done, here is how I would do it: Make Sauce per recipe and pour over Pork in slow cooker. Cook on low for 6 hours. Remove pork, then pour all liquid into a large skillet (there will be tons of liquid). Simmer rapidly on high and reduce to about 1 1/2 cups. Then pour over pork in a baking pan and roast for 20 - 30 minutes at 180C/350F until caramelised (baste / turn once or twice). The other option is to reduce liquid in the skillet then put the pork pieces in the skillet, turning to coat in the syrupy sauce.
3. Nutrition per serving, assuming 8 servings, assuming all the sauce is consumed. Worth every single calorie... 😂
LIFE OF DOZER
Next Hollywood blockbuster – The Great Toy Heist.
Looks wonderful! I wanted to know if I can make this in an InstantPot and fnish it in the oven?
Hi Nagi,
I love your website and all the wonderful recipes that I have tried and my family really love.
But I made this the other night and mine looked no where near what yours did and the sauce didn’t really caramelize and the meat wasn’t really ultra tender either, what did I do wrong?
I really need you to live with me so when I’m doing it wrong I have you on hand to help (let’s be honest I would just let you cook, hehehehe).
Hi Joanne! If the surface did not caramelise like you see in the photos AND it wasn’t ultra tender then unfortunately it sounds like it wasn’t cooked long enough. Is there a chance your oven runs low?? 🙂 N x
Thanks Nagi,
I do have a temperamental oven so over the weekend we went shopping for a new one 🙂
Will definitely try this in the new oven.
X
Myself and two other guests 5 starred this recipe. The flavor was downright sinful receiving fave reviews. Love your website Nagi, you not only give fantastic recipes but your personal down home humor and interesting little stories finish off every recipe you offer to us. Best recipe blog I have come across and believe me I have checked out a lot of websites.
Thank you for the compliment Carolyn! And I’m so pleased you enjoyed this! – N x
Sorry! But I am turning you in for creature abuse!! (whisper; can’ say animal) Dozer needs toys to stimulate him. You should correct this neglect immediately. He loves you very much and didn’t email me. I saw the picture you posted. Poor baby. Aren’t you ashamed? You are so loved and so heartless. Poor Dozer!! (Pork in the oven right now. Can’t wait) Barb.
Hi, i just want to report that I made this last night following your slow cooker directions. I was short on time so I made the chunks of meat a little smaller (and had only 2.5 pounds). I cooked on low for 4 hours and then moved it to the oven for 25 minutes. It didn’t turn all dark and pretty like in your pictures, but the taste was delicious! The kids and husband gave it a big thumbs up. Thank you!
Glad you enjoyed this Beth! Thank you for letting me know! N x
Nagi, my family wanted bite sauce pieces of pork so that the meat will have more taste. Can this be done or will the Pork become hard and tough?
I wonder if you could offer me some suggestions of what went wrong. I made this for dinner tonight, and I followed the recipe to the letter. My husband even asked the butcher for the exact roast, and 4 pound weight that the recipe called for. I made the sauce, cut the roast into eight pieces, and cooked it following the directions. My roast ended up tough, pale, and swimming in the juices/sauce! The sauce went half way up the pan, I used a 9×9 inch pan to start, then transferred everything to a 9×13 inch pan, after I saw the sauce wasn’t caramelizing. Sadly, the finished roast was inedible. Any thoughts about where I went wrong? Thank you. I have made your recipes in the past, and have had wonderful success.
I had exactly the same result Pam so I too will be interested in where we went wrong!
Easy delicious and two thumbs up from my family. Thank you. Your mygo to girl for dinners late
That’s great CD! Thanks for letting me know! – N x ❤️
Easy and delicious. Thank you for this lovely new recipe in my families repertoire.
You’re so welcome! I’m glad the family enjoyed it! N xx
Hello Nagi! This recipe is mouth-watering!
Now, what does it mean when it says “line pan with foil, then paper?” What kind of paper (e.g. parchment, paper towel) exactly?
Thank you!
Hi Latoya! Just place foil in a pan then on top of that, parchment paper 🙂 Nx
I was wondering that too….😂
Made this for dinner tonight, so easy to make.
It was delicious
That’s terrific Kate! So leased you enjoyed it! N x
Hi, Kubatska!
I did not try yet….just had it the “regular” way last week. Yum.
Can I use bone in pork shoulder? That is what is on sale this week!
That’s what I use in this! 🙂
O M G!!!! Nagi, I love you! I made this today and it was DELICIOUS, SCRUMPTIOUS and everything god!! I paired it with leek fried rice with an egg on top, that when cut all the gooeyness of the egg acted as sauce; DELISH!! Thank you so very much!
WHOOT WHOOT!!!! So glad you loved this Jean!! N xx
Hi Nagi, I intend to make this for tomorrow night’s dinner. I have a pork scotch roast. Could this be used successfully? Love your recipes
Sorry, Nagi. I just noticed your reference to pork scotch roast in your recipe notes.
Regards, Martin
No worries! BTW, here is a photo of what Scotch roast looks like if you halve it lengthwise instead of into cubes per the recipe. It’s so good! -> https://www.recipetineats.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/Brown-Sugar-Caramelised-Pork-Roast_Scotch-Fillet.jpg
THANK YOU for your crock pot addendum! Will be thinking of you while using more than 1 napkin!
😂
How did this dish turn out using the crock pot? Would like to use this method this weekend
I’m making this tonight, it looks delicious!!
Hope you love it Michelle! N xx
Wow, your porks look really tender and delicious with the glossy sauce! I’d like to have this in one of my night meal 😍
– Natalie Ellis
Thanks Natalie!!
Hi Nagi, Five stars from us. The aroma is as mouthwatering as the dish. fantastic singing on the video. Could you let us know the title and artist? Thanks in advance.
Thanks for the feedback Lisa! Glad you enjoyed this 🙂 The music is called We Can’t Slow Down by Origami Pigeon, it’s a stock music track I purchased for recipe videos! N x