Oven Slow-Roasted Pork Shoulder

This oven slow-roasted pork shoulder will satisfy your summer craving for BBQ without the fuss of minding a smoker. A simple rub with smoked salt and warm spices, plus low-and-slow heat, transforms a humble pork shoulder into juicy, pull-apart perfection with big flavor. It’s a hands-off, crowd-friendly recipe you can start in the morning and forget about until dinner, which makes it perfect for gatherings, meal prep, or lazy summer weekends.

How this Oven Slow-Roasted Pork Shoulder recipe fits AIP Modified and Paleo

This oven slow-roasted pork shoulder is designed for AIP Modified, with a completely nightshade-free spice blend built on smoked salt, citrusy fennel, warming cinnamon, and cumin instead of paprika or chiles. The result is a deeply flavorful alternative to traditional barbecue rubs, without inflammatory triggers. While nightshades aren’t restricted on Paleo, this recipe is fully compatible, just use high-quality pork and clean, additive-free spices for best results.

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Start by mixing the spice rub: sea salt, mustard, oregano, fennel seed, cumin, garlic, onion, mace, cinnamon and coconut sugar. If you can, seek out a smoked sea salt (affiliate link). I love hickory salt to add a little traditional hint of wood smoke. The coconut sugar plays a key role here too, helping create a crust and caramelization all around the pork. Since we’re roasting at such a low temperature, this little bit of sugar helps seal in the juices and ensures the pork browns without having to flash broil or increase the temperature, both of which could dry out the roast.

This is a Boston butt, also known as a pork butt. It’s the fattier, more marbled part of the pork shoulder, which is my preference for cooking low-and-slow roast for pulled pork or this fall-apart roast. Rub the spice rub all over the pork. A three or four-pound pork roast will cook in under six hours — it’s a manageable size and cook time. If your pork roast is larger, you’ll want to increase the amount of spice rub, and increase the cooking time by about 45 minutes to an hour per pound.

Slice onions into thick rings and arrange them on the bottom of a baking dish or roasting pan. Place the seasoned pork on top of the onions, fat side down. The onions act as a natural roasting rack for the pork, and will flavor the fat as is renders. They can be discarded at the end of cooking if they’re over-caramelized.

Roast the pork uncovered at 275°F for 5 to 6 hours. There are a lot of variables that affect the exact timing, but be patient and you’ll get what you’re really after… melt-in-your-mouth pork, meaning the fat and collagen have fully broken down. The sweet spot is an internal temperature between 205° and 210°. Some say going all the way to 205° risks drying it out. I find taking it out of the oven at 205° and letting it rest for 30 minutes to an hour strikes the perfect balance. The carryover heat finishes the job, and the rest time lets the juices redistribute so every bite stays moist and tender.

Use a fork to pull big servings of meat from the roast, making sure every piece has some of that crispy seasoned bark. The best part? This oven slow-roasted pork is low-effort, high-reward and endlessly versatile. The prep takes just a few minutes, and after that, the oven does all the work. I don’t even mind having this roasting during a warm summer afternoon, since the oven is at such a low temperature. It’s the kind of meal that feeds a crowd with ease – think family reunion picnic or holiday buffet spread. Or, just make it for yourself, portion and freeze for whenever.

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Oven Slow-Roasted Pork

5 from 1 vote

This oven slow-roasted pork shoulder is fork-tender and seasoned with a nightshade-free spice blend.

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Prep Time:15 minutes mins

Cook Time:6 hours hrs

Resting Time:30 minutes mins

Total Time:6 hours hrs 45 minutes mins

Servings: 8 servings

Author: Christina Marche

Ingredients

• 3-4 lb boneless Boston butt or pork shoulder
• 2 tsp course smoked sea salt
• 1 tsp ground mustard
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• ½ tsp ground fennel seed
• ½ tsp ground cumin
• ½ tsp garlic powder
• ½ tsp onion powder
• ½ tsp cinnamon
• ⅛ tsp mace or nutmeg
• 1 tsp coconut sugar
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 3 large onions, sliced into thick rings

Instructions

• Heat the oven to 275°.
• In a small bowl, stir together sea salt, mustard, oregano, fennel seed, garlic powder, onion powder, cinnamon, mace or nutmeg, coconut sugar and olive oil.
• Evenly coat the pork with the spice rub.
• Layer sliced onions in the bottom of a roasting pan or baking dish and nestle the pork on top, fat side down.
• Roast low and slow, uncovered, for 4 to 5 hours, until the internal temperature reaches 200° and the meat is tender enough to shred with a fork.
• Remove from the oven, tent loosely with foil, and let the roast rest for an hour.
• Once rested, use two forks to gently pull the pork into hearty, fall-apart pieces.

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: AIP Modified, Paleo