Grandma Gwen’s Sunday Roast Pork Recipe | Juicy Tender Oven Roasted Pork

Heeeey, folks! I’m so pumped to share this roast pork recipe with y’all. Pork has become a forbidden meat for some people due to health, religious, and personal reasons. But if you love pork like me, you must give this dish a shot.

It’s the perfect main dish for a fall Sunday dinner. It goes a long way and lasts for days! So, you won’t have to cook again til Tuesday. Haha! Give the recipe a shot and let me know what you think. This is soul food at its best, y’all.

What Makes This a Great Recipe

• It stretches: This is a great option for feeding a big family because it lasts for days. It’s a large piece of meat, so it can last throughout the week.
• The leftovers are versatile: You can use the extra meat for other dishes. It’s perfect for shredding and chopping for pulled pork sandwiches, tacos, soup, or stew.
• It’s easy to make: I know I say this about almost all my recipes, but this is truly a simple dish to make. All you do is coat it with a marinade and bake it for a few hours while you watch your favorite movie.

Roast Pork for Sunday Dinner After Church

My Grandma Gwen’s is the reason why I fell in love with roast pork. I tried her recipe a few times, and absolutely loved it.

I still remember the exact flavor and how juicy and tender it was. It had a subtle apple cider vinegar flavor, and the gravy was to die for.

Sometimes she’d make a boneless roast, and sometimes a bone-in one. It didn’t matter, though, because both were equally delicious. She served it with a side of mashed potatoes, gravy, and sweet corn or green beans.

So I tried my best to mimic her recipe, and I really think she’d be proud of the outcome. My roast is just as tender, with the same amazing flavor and finger-licking gravy.

Watch Me Make It

Things you need:

Ok, here are the ingredients you need for this recipe, along with some alternatives if you don’t have them all.

• Meat: Boneless Pork Shoulder aka Boston butt. I like to use this cut of pork because of its tenderness and fat content.
• Vegetables: Red potatoes and yellow onions. Yukon Gold potatoes work great if you don’t have red potatoes.
• Liquids: Chicken broth (preferably low-sodium) and water. This is what we’ll be cooking the roast in and using to create the gravy. Vegetable broth can be used if you don’t have chicken broth. Using JUST WATER is also an option.
• Thickeners: Flour and McCormick Pork Gravy mix. The flour is what thickens the slurry and turns it into gravy. You can replace it with cornstarch; the only difference is you’ll add it during the last hour of cooking. The gravy mix just gives the gravy a pork flavor.
• Fat: Unsalted butter. This just adds depth of flavor but isn’t necessary at all.

Marinade ingredients

• Liquids: Apple cider vinegar, white wine, and Worcestershire sauce. These ingredients tenderize the roast and infuse it with flavor.
• Seasonings: Pork flavor bouillon cube, salt, garlic powder, onion powder, pepper, Italian seasoning, thyme, and rosemary.
• Fat: We’ll be using extra-virgin olive oil. The olive oil helps the marinade penetrate the meat and reach the core.

Types and cuts of Roast Pork

We’ll be using pork shoulder, which is also called Boston butt. But there are other cuts that are perfect for roasting as well. The flavor profiles are slightly different, though, so keep that in mind.

• Pork shoulder (Pork butt) aka Boston Butt: This is my personal favorite cut because it shreds the best when cooked. That makes it a perfect choice for pulled pork, which I make pretty often. It also has a nice amount of fat, which adds moisture and flavor.
• Pork loin: Pork loin has an amazing flavor! The fat cap, which is the large piece of fat on top, adds moisture and flavor as well.
• Pork Belly: This is the fattiest cut and the best choice for making bacon. It’s melt-in-your-mouth tender when cooked and has a very rich, delicious flavor.

Boneless vs Bone-in

“Boneless or bone-in”? Butchers always ask me this whenever I purchase roast pork from the meat market. Below are the differences between the two.

• Boneless roast pork: While flavorful, it isn’t as flavorful, and it cooks in less time. It’s better for cutting and slicing because there are no big bones in the way. Boneless pork, however, tends to be a little more expensive due to the processing involved.
• Bone-in roast pork: The bone provides extra flavor and moisture. Bone-in pork shoulder cooks evenly but requires more cooking time. The meat closest to the bone has the most flavor and is the most tender.

Marinating the Roast Pork

For this recipe, we’ll be creating a marinade. This is a homemade marinade, made by yours truly. I always marinate large pieces of meat; it’s just something I like to do when I have time.

• What’s in a marinade? Marinades typically consist of an acidic ingredient like lemon juice, vinegar, or cooking wine, olive oil (which is almost always used in marinades), and various seasonings.
• The purpose of using a marinade: To tenderize and infuse meat with flavor, especially large or tough cuts.
• How does it work? The acid ingredients tenderize the meat by breaking down its tough connective tissue, known as collagen. The salt helps tenderize the meat as well.
• How long do you marinate meat? It depends on the size of the meat. It’ll obviously take longer to fully marinate a 4- to 8-lb piece of meat. But the rule of thumb is 8 to 24 hours, and no longer than 2 days.

Temperature, cooking time, and doneness

Slow roasting at 325°F is the best way to keep the meat juicy. It helps the roast cook evenly so the outside doesn’t dry out before the inside is done.

The rule of thumb is 40 to 60 minutes per pound. I always stick to 60 minutes to guarantee it’s completely done. Using this method, a 4 lb roast will take 4 hours.

Here is what those internal temperatures mean for your roast:

• Minimum Safe Temp (145°F): This is the official USDA minimum. It’s safe to eat, but a pork shoulder at this temp will be way too tough to enjoy.
• Sliceable Texture (160°F-170°F): The roast is fully cooked and perfect for slicing. It will still have a little chew to it, however.
• Pull-Apart Tender (195°F-205°F): This is the ultimate sweet spot! The tough tissues break down completely, leaving you with meat that shreds effortlessly.

Since I love using the leftovers for pulled pork sandwiches, 195°F is exactly what I aim for. If you use a thermometer, put it right in the thickest part for an accurate reading.

Don’t have an instant thermometer? Keep it old school and just check it with a fork. If the fork slides right in and the meat falls apart, you know your roast is definitely done.

How to make Roast Pork

1. Place the roast pork in a roasting or baking pan.
2. With a sharp knife, poke several holes into the roast.
3. Marinade: Add the seasonings, wine, vinegar, oil, and Worcestershire sauce to a small mixing bowl.
4. Stir everything together and break up the bouillon cube until everything is nice and smooth.
5. Brush the pork with all of the marinade, and refrigerate for 8 to 24 hours.
6. Preheat oven to 325F.
7. Peel the potatoes and dice into medium-sized pieces.
8. Place the potatoes in a bowl, and cover them with cold water.
9. Chop the onions into medium-sized pieces.
10. Add the broth and water to a mixing bowl.
11. Stir in the flour and pork gravy mix until smooth.
12. Add the onions and slurry to the roasting pan.
13. Chop the butter into small pieces and place over the roast pork.
14. Cover with a lid or aluminum foil (if you’re using a baking pan) and bake for 4 hours.
15. Rinse the potatoes and add them to the roasting pan after 2-1/2 hours of cooking.

How to Make Roast Pork in a Slow Cooker

Want to cook it in a crockpot? Well, you can, and here’s how. First things first, you will marinate the pork shoulder the same way you would if you were roasting it.

1. Place the roast pork in a roasting or baking pan.
2. With a sharp knife, poke several holes in it.
3. Marinade: Add the seasonings, wine, vinegar, oil, and Worcestershire sauce to a small mixing bowl.
4. Stir everything together and break up the bouillon cube until everything is nice and smooth.
5. Brush the pork with all of the marinade, and refrigerate for 8 to 24 hours.
6. Preheat the crockpot on low or high. (That’s up to you)
7. Peel the potatoes and dice into medium-sized pieces.
8. Place the potatoes in a bowl, and cover them with cold water.
9. Add the broth and water to a mixing bowl.
10. Stir in the flour and pork gravy mix until smooth.
11. Set the pork shoulder in the slow cooker.
12. Add in the chopped onions, slurry, and butter.
13. Cook for 4 hours on high, or for 6 to 8 hours on low.
14. Add the potatoes during the last 2 hours if you cook on high, during the last 4 hours if you cook on low.

Tips for best results

• Poke holes before marinating: This is like injecting flavor straight into the meat. It allows the marinade to easily seep into the meat’s core.
• Don’t marinate too long: Leaving the meat in the marinade for too long can make it mushy, causing it to lose its natural bite. So pay close attention to how long you let it marinate.
• Keep the meat tied: Although I didn’t do this in the video, keeping the roast tied helps it cook evenly. It also helps it hold its shape so it doesn’t fall apart.
• Baste it periodically: Spoon the pan juices over the roast every now and then. And stir it from time to time so it doesn’t stick to the bottom.
• Let it rest: Always let the roast rest for a few minutes after it’s done before cutting. This gives the juices time to settle back into the meat so it stays juicy.

Variations

• Carrots and Celery: Onions and potatoes are classic, but carrots and celery work too. If you want to add other veggies you think will taste good with your roast, do you!

Serving suggestions

These sides pair perfectly with roast pork. Since we made a homemade gravy, you’ll want a great starch to soak it all up. Here are some vegetable sides I personally like to pair with roast pork.

• Starches: Mashed potatoes, white rice, or egg noodles.
• Veggies: Green beans, spinach, or sweet corn.

What to do with leftover Roast Pork?

• Pulled Pork: Shred the leftovers to make pulled pork sandwiches. Add the meat to a skillet with your favorite sauce and simmer until warm. You can find recipes online or make a quick pulled pork sauce with ketchup, vinegar, mustard, honey, brown sugar, and Worcestershire sauce.
• Tacos: Shred the leftover pork and place it in a skillet. Add some taco seasoning and place it over medium heat. Once it’s hot throughout, place it in warm tortillas. Then top it with your favorite toppings, such as salsa, onions, and cilantro.
• Soup or Stew: Chop the meat into bite-sized pieces and add it to a pot with broth, veggies, and potatoes. Let it simmer until hot and tender for the perfect comforting pork soup or stew.

Storage and reheating

• In the Oven: Place the roast in a baking dish. Heat it up at 350°F for 20 to 25 minutes or until it’s hot throughout.
• In a Skillet: Slice it up and place it in a skillet with a quarter cup of water. Place it over medium heat, and let it go until hot; about 15-20 minutes.
• In the Microwave: Slice it up and place it in a microwave-safe dish. Heat it over high for 2 to 3 minutes, then flip it halfway through.
• How to Store: Wrap it in aluminum foil or plastic wrap, or place it in a container and seal it with a lid. Then store it in the refrigerator.
• Can you freeze it? Yes. Just place it in a Ziploc bag and seal it tightly to prevent freezer burn. It will stay fresh in the freezer for 3 months or more.

Equipment You Need

• Knife: Make sure it’s sharp to easily cut your onions and potatoes.
• Potato peeler: Self-explanatory—just to peel the potatoes.
• Baster Brush: Not strictly needed, but great for coating every part of the meat evenly with marinade.
• Roasting Pan: What we’ll roast the pork in. Use one that’s at least 14 inches so everything fits.
• Baster: To baste the roast periodically while it cooks.
• Large Spoon: If you don’t have a baster, use this to pour the pan juices over the meat.
• Small Mixing bowl: To combine the marinade.
• Large mixing bowl: To create the slurry.
• Measuring Cups: To measure your liquids accurately.
• Measuring Spoons: To accurately measure your seasonings

Ok, y’all, that’s all for now. I’ve covered everything you need to perfect this recipe. Please give the recipe a 5-star rating if you like it, share it, and leave a comment below.

Enjoy, later!

Pbj~

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