Pork Shoulder with Wine Gravy

Servings: 9
Prep Time: 105 minutes

Ingredients

6 pounds boneless pork shoulder roast

10 cloves garlic (peeled and slivered into fourths)

1 tablespoon fresh rosemary

1 teaspoon dried rosemary

1 tablespoon fresh thyme

1 teaspoon ground thyme

1 1/2 teaspoons smoked paprika

2 teaspoons fine sea salt

1 teaspoon black pepper (freshly ground)

1/2 cup ground mustard (stone-)

5 cups white wine (divided, such as Chardonnay or Pino Grigio)

1/4 cup unsalted butter

1/4 cup flour

1 tablespoon honey

1. Pat-dry the pork shoulder well with paper towels. Place it in a large roasting pan with high sides. With a sharp paring knife, cut 40 (1-inch deep) incisions all over the pork. Insert a garlic sliver into each one (use your finger to make the holes large and deep enough to insert the garlic).

2. In a medium bowl, combine the rosemary, thyme, paprika, salt, pepper, and mustard; stir to form a thick paste. Coat the top and sides of the shoulder with this paste. Tent aluminum foil over the pork, making sure not to let the foil touch the meat; set aside at room temperature for 30 minutes (or make ahead and keep refrigerated up to 12 hours; bring back to room temperature for 30 minutes before roasting).

3. Preheat the oven to 425°F.Pour 3 cups of wine around the pork and cover again with the tented foil. Roast for 1 hour. Uncover and add 2 more cups of wine; cover again and continue roasting for 1 hour or until the internal temperature reaches 170°F. Remove roast from the oven and let it stand for 20 minutes; transfer roast to a large cutting board.

4. While it rests, strain the juices through a sieve, pressing the solids against the sieve to remove all of the juices; then, discard the solids. Let the juices sit for five minutes; then remove the layer of fat that rises to the top and discard. Keep the juices warm (you will have about 2 to 2 ½ cups; if you don’t have enough, you can thin it out with a bit of broth or water. If not making gravy, discard the juices).

5. To make the gravy: In a medium pot set over medium heat, melt the butter; add the flour and stir together well. Continue cooking and stirring it for 2-3 minutes or until it is a lightly golden color. Add 2 cups of the warm juices at once, and stir vigorously. Bring the gravy to a simmer over medium heat, while stirring constantly, until it thickens, about 3 minutes. Remove gravy from the heat; stir in the honey, and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Keep the gravy warm over very low heat.

6. Slice the pork thinly and transfer it to a serving platter; serve with gravy on the side.

Courtesy of the National Pork Board, Des Moines, Iowa.