Ingredients
Pork Shoulder Brine
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 2 dried bay leaves
- 1 tbsp red pepper flakes
- 2 garlic cloves, smashed and peeled
- kosher salt
Roasting
- 1 1/2 cups apple cider
- 8 large shallots
Instructions
- In a large pot, add 2 quarts of water with all the brine ingredients and 6 tbsp of salt. Bring to a simmer and stir until the sugar and salt have dissolved. Remove from the heat and cool completely. Submerge pork shoulder in the brine and place in the refrigerator for 12-48 hours. When ready to cook, drain the pork shoulder and pat completely dry. No need to salt it after!
- To roast, preheat the oven to 300°F. Line a roasting pan with parchment paper and add the pork shoulder along with the apple cider, placing the shallots around the shoulder. Roast for 4-5 hours, looking for 205°F internal temperature. You can optionally broil for 5 minutes to really crisp up that skin at the end.
- Once done, remove the pork from the pan and place onto a serving plate. Let the pork sit for 15 minutes before shredding. Optionally you can reduce the leftover liquid from the pan into a sauce to serve over the pork.
- Serve hot with your favorite barbecue sauce on some fresh brioche buns!
- Enjoy!