Pork Shoulder Roast with Chinese Spices...

I can assure you, once you've tried making this at home you may be less tempted for Chinese deli take-out. Really easy to cook, making for an effortless roast that has a crackling crust and a succulent moist and meaty, slightly fatty interior. Since this pork shoulder is boneless, tender and fatty, you can cook it on high for a shorter amount of time than the usual slow-roasting cuts.The house will be filled with an earthy sweet exotic fragrance whetting everyone's taste buds before making its grand appearance on the table. Serve with steamed rice and vegetables, or in a hot bowl of ramen noodle soup as I will share tomorrow...

Pork Shoulder Roast with Chinese Spices
Feeds a crowd or a family with lots of leftovers for next day meals, sandwiches etc., 

4-1/2 lb. boneless pork shoulder with a layer of fat on top and a good amount of fat throughout
1 Tbsp. of kosher or sea salt
1 Tbsp. black peppercorns
1-1/2 Tbsp. brown sugar
2 Tbsp. Chinese five-spice powder
1 Tbsp. ground cinnamon
6 cloves
3 star anise
2 Tbsp. canola oil

Cook's NOTE: If you have a mortar and pestle, grind the spices into a fine powder or use a spice grinder. Otherwise, use ground spices in the recipe.

Preheat the oven to 400F. Combine all the ingredients for the spice mix in a bowl. Score the surface of the pork fat with a sharp knife (this helps keep the pork crisp during cooking), then rub the oil and mixture over the pork, working it well into the score lines. Place the pork in a roasting pan and roast in the oven for two hours or so, or until the juices run clear when the meat is pierced with a knife or skewer.

NOTE: I tend to roast larger pieces of meat, but for a family of four to six, a 1-1/2 lb. cut is plenty. Roast at 400F for 55 minutes or until the juices run clear when the meat is pierced with a knife or skewer. 

This was the joint available at my butcher's otherwise, I would choose a piece with a nice layer of fat on top.

The size was perfect for my toaster oven... No wasted energy!

Remove from oven and allow to rest for juices to redistribute for 15 minutes before slicing.

Juicy succulence!

Cook's NOTE: If you have some extra time, slow, slow roasting yields the most super tender roast. As my friend Way Ling Weisser did in Singapore, take a 1-1/2 lb. boneless pork shoulder and roast it at 275F for four hours then turn up the heat to 450F. When this temp. is reached, let it cook for 10 minutes for the top to crust. I will definitely have to try this next time. Gorgeous, delicious or what?

Way Ling Wiesser's version of my Pork Shoulder Roast with Chinese Spices.