Slow Roasted Pork Shoulder with Salsa Verde and Grainy Mustard Mashed Potatoes

1 (about 4 pounds) boneless pork shoulder

2 Tablespoons fennel seeds
4 garlic cloves
1/4 cup chopped fresh rosemary
1/4 cup chopped fresh sage
4 Tablespoons kosher salt (1 tablespoon for every pound of meat)
1 Tablespoon coarsely ground black pepper
1/4 cup extra-virgin oil


Preheat oven to 325°F. 

Place the pork, fat-side up, in a roasting pan fitted with a rack insert.  Toast the fennel seeds in a pan over medium heat until fragrant.  Place the garlic, rosemary, sage, toasted fennel seeds, salt, and pepper into a food processor and pulse. Add the olive oil and blend into a paste.  Rub the paste all over the pork.  Cover the pork with plastic wrap and marinate in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours or up to overnight.

Allow the meat to sit at room temperature for 30 minutes before cooking. Then roast pork for 3 hours loosely tented with aluminium foil.  Let the meat rest on a cutting board for 15 minutes before slicing.  Serve with Salsa Verde (below) and Grainy Mustard Mashed Potatoes (below)


Salsa Verde:
1/2 cup golden raisins, soaked in warm water to plump and then and then drained
1/2 cup washed, salted button capers
1/4 cup finely chopped shallots
4 cups flat leaf parsley, roughly chopped
2 lemons, juice plus 1 teaspoon of zest
1 Tablespoon Dijon mustard
To Taste Kosher salt
To Taste freshly ground black pepper
3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Roughly chop raisins and capers and then combine with remaining ingredients in a large mixing bowl.  Toss together until well combined.  Refrigerate for 30 minutes to allow flavors to come together before serving.


Grainy Mustard Mashed Potatoes:

1 cup heavy cream
4 Tablespoons unsalted butter
3 large Yukon gold potatoes, peeled
To Taste Kosher salt
To Taste freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup olive oil, optional
3 Tablespoons whole-grain mustard


Warm the cream with the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat until the butter melts; set aside.

Put the potatoes in a medium saucepan with cold water to cover. Bring to boil then add 1 teaspoon of salt and reduce the heat and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, until the potatoes are very tender. Drain. Pass the potatoes through a food mill or a ricer into a large mixing bowl. Stir in the warm cream and butter mixture until the cream is absorbed and the mixture is smooth. Season the potatoes with salt and pepper and finish them off by stirring in a ¼ cup olive oil and whole grain mustard.

Yields 6-8 servings

Prep Time: 10 minutes (overnight rest time)
Cook Time: 3 hours 15 minutes

Recipe compliments of Tyler Florence