Part of the problem (more like the good news) is that you can cook this so many ways and have good results.

On the BBQ it will come out quite a bit different than in the crockpot. It also works well baked in the oven. So how long, how much, and who do we invite to dinner?

Well, you can figure about 20 minutes a pound as a starting point for Pork Roast with an oven temp of about 375. (Temperature is a control for the thickness of the meat. If you find the center isn’t well done enough, then lower the temp and increase the time. Since the indicators for “doneness” are on the outside this will cook the meat more thoroughly and deeper. If you prefer the roast to be less done inside, then shorten the time and increase the temp. The range could go as low as 325 and as high as 425.) If you preheated the oven and or BBQ this will put you close to the time when it will be finished. Normally it will take another 20 minutes to half an hour to be just right. In the oven I would cover with foil or use a roasting pan with a lid. Those last 20-30 minutes would be a good amount of time to leave the meat uncovered. The juices should run clear when you poke it with a knife or fork. A meat thermometer should read at least 160+ when you take it out. It will continue to cook for 10-15 minutes after you take it out and will continue to go up to about 170, the ultimate goal for Pork. These are the standard tests but I go a bit longer. The meat will start to separate from the bone and you can put a fork into it and pull the meat apart. For the BBQ or oven, that is when I consider it done. This works because of the fat content of Pork shoulder.

The meat cooked on the BBQ will be a bit dryer, but not dried out. (this is if you are using a shoulder roast for example, loin doesn’t have as much marbled fat and may be a bit too dry.) If you don’t want your roast that dry, you can cover it in tin foil for the first half to two-thirds of the cooking time.

In the crockpot you may need to add moisture. We use a BBQ sauce on country style spare ribs in the crock pot. These are made from Pork shoulder also, just cut into rib sized pieces. We let those go for 6-8 hours. They are very forgiving as long as they don’t dry out. I haven’t used Porketta seasoned roast in the crockpot, but the times will be similar.

Who do you invite?

Duh, me.

Kidding, We normally invite people over to share this with so that we don’t eat 4 pounds by ourselves. The trick is to make sure you make extra. Because quite frankly, everyone goes back for seconds. The down side is that this reduces the possibility of left-overs. I’ve heard Porketta seasoned roast is great out of the fridge. We so rarely have any left over that it would be difficult for me to confirm, however.

Thanks Randee, for the comment and thanks for stopping by. I hope that was helpful.