Boneless pork shoulder roast as they do it in Bavaria.
German Boneless Pork Shoulder Roast (Schweinebraten)
Known as Schweinebraten, this traditional dish couldn’t be easier to make or taste more fulfilling. Plus: how to make pork gravy.
Ingredients
- 4 lbs boneless pork shoulder (if you find it with the skin on you will have great crackling capping the roast)
- 6 cloves
- 1 tbsp cumin (seeds or ground)
- 2 tsp caraway seeds
- 3 tbsp coarse sea salt
- 2 tsp ground black pepper
- 2 12 oz dark beer (Marzen, Dunkel, bock or if using ale Amber or Brown)
- 1 large onion
- 3 carrots, (or more as needed)
- 3 beets, (or more as needed)
- 3 large sweet potatoes, (or more as needed)
- 3 parsnips, (or more as needed)
Directions
- Turn the oven on to 350 F.
- Grind the cloves, caraway seeds and cumin seeds (if not using ground cumin) and mix them with the salt and pepper.
- Score the pork shoulder fat cap/skin. Rub it well on all sides with the seasonings mix and place it in a roasting pan with a rack. Make sure that the pork is level, especially if it has the skin on (better crackling will develop). You can place garlic cloves underneath the meat to even it out and achieve a level top surface.
- Roast the pork shoulder in the middle of the oven for about 1 hour. Just before taking it out peel and dice all the vegetables in 1 inch or so cubes.
- Place the vegetables around the meat and pour the two beers over them and the meat.
- Put the pork roast and the vegetables back in the oven and roast for 1 and a half more hours. About half way through check to see if the liquid is getting low. If so, add a bit more beer or a little bit of water. Baste the vegetables with the pan juices and continue to roast.
- You may need to roast a little longer than the total of 2.5 hours - check the internal temperature of the meat - if it is 155 F in the center, the pork shoulder is cooked.
- Also if your pork had skin on it keep an eye on the crackling and adjust the oven temperature up towards the end if it is not dark enough and not bubbling.
- If you notice the skin getting dark too fast then lower the temperature of your oven to 325 F until the internal temp of the meat is 155 F and broil for about a minute or two at the end. If you end up broiling to get a good crackling, place the roasting pan at the bottom rack of the oven first and then broil on high until the skin puffs up.
- Remove the pork from the pan and let rest on a cutting board before slicing.
- For bigger cuts of pork shoulder or cuts that have the bone in allow extra time. Go with about 20 additional minutes for each extra pound over 4 lbs. Add the additional time to the secondary roasting time in the oven, after you take out the roast to add the vegetables and the beer (plus any extra water or broth).