Wine-Braised Pork Shoulder

• servings: 6 servings
• active time: 30 minutes
• total time: 4 hours 30 minutes

Ingredients

One (4 1/2 pound) bone-in pork shoulder or a 3 1/2- to 4-pound (1.6- to 1.8-kg) boneless shoulder

1 tablespoon dried basil

1 tablespoon dried thyme or a couple sprigs fresh thyme

1 tablespoon dried parsley

1 tablespoon Diamond brand kosher salt or 2 teaspoons Morton kosher salt

2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper

2 large (1 lb) red onions (thinly sliced)

2 cups dry red wine

1 bunch of thyme (finely chopped, or a few sprigs parsley, optional)

Directions

Preheat the oven to 325°F (163°C).

Mix

Pat the pork shoulder dry with paper towels. In a small bowl, combine the herbs, salt, and pepper.

Season

In the bottom of a large Dutch oven, layer the onions. Place the pork, fat side down, on the onions and sprinkle with half of the spice mixture. Use your hands to rub it evenly over the pork. Flip the pork so the fat side is up and rub it with the remaining spice mixture. Pour in the wine and cover.

Braise

Place the Dutch oven in the oven and braise, basting the pork every hour or so, until the meat is tender and falling off the bone and an instant-read thermometer inserted in the thickest part registers about 180°F (82°C), 3 1/2 to 4 1/2 hours. A boneless roast will be done sooner than a bone-in roast.

Cool

When the meat is tender, remove the shoulder from the pot and let it cool while you finish the sauce.

Skim any fat floating on the surface of the juices and then strain the liquid into a medium saucepan.☞ TESTER TIP: If you prefer to have as little fat in your sauce—something we’re not particularly proponents of as fat has flavor—use that gravy separator you otherwise use only at Thanksgiving or refrigerate or freeze your pan juices until the fat congeals on top and can easily be skimmed.

Simmer

Add about half the onions to the saucepan with the liquid and place the remainder back in the Dutch oven. Set the saucepan over medium heat and bring the mixture to a low boil. Reduce the heat and simmer until it is slightly reduced, 8 to 15 minutes. The sauce will be quite thin.

Blend

Carefully pour the mixture into a high-speed blender and puree until smooth.

Shred the pork and return it to the Dutch oven and drizzle with the puréed sauce. Toss the pork and onions with the sauce and keep it warm over low heat until ready to serve.

Serve

Divide the pork among plates and, if desired, garnish with a sprinkling of fresh parsley and/or thyme.

Nutrition

• Serving Size: 1 portion
• Calories: 424 kcal
• Total Fat: 9 g
• Saturated Fat: 3 g
• Unsaturated Fat: 5 g
• Trans Fat: 0.04 g
• Cholesterol: 159 mg
• Sodium: 1310 mg
• Total Carbohydrate: 7 g
• Dietary Fiber: 1 g
• Total Sugars: 2 g
• Protein: 61 g