pork

jerk-dressed bristol pork

servings
12 with leftovers

method

Just about everyone gets excited when they see roast pork on the table. But even though a whole roasted shoulder is really impressive, it’s actually a ‘slam and go’ recipe. Of course it’s lovely served with roast potatoes and orchard apple sauce, but lately, I’ve been pulling all the meat apart and tossing it through this great jerk salsa – hell, yeah! The flavors of Jamaica and Britain really work well together – and actually many of the same spices found in jerk can also be found in some of the most quintessentially British puddings, syrups and even our beloved mulled wine. This is my version of jerk-dressed pork, and I love it.

Preheat the oven to full whack (about 240°C/475°F/gas 9). Carefully score the skin and fat on the shoulder into zigzags about 1cm deep, using a very sharp knife or a clean Stanley knife. Sprinkle and rub in a good pinch of salt, pepper, dried rosemary, thyme, and a few good gratings of nutmeg. Add a lug of olive oil, then rub those flavors all over the meat and into the scores. Place the pork, skin side up, in your largest roasting pan. Pour one of the bottles of cider into the bottom of the tray, put into the hot oven for 30 minutes so the crackling gets going, then turn the heat down to 130°C/250°F/gas½.

After the pork has been in for an hour, add the rest of the cider and cook for a further 6 to 7 hours, or until the meat pulls apart easily. Halfway through the cooking time cover with a double layer of tin foil.

Once the pork is perfectly cooked, move it to a large serving board or platter. Carefully pour any fat from the roasting tray into a Kilner jar for some lucky roast potato some day, but leave the wonderful flavourful cooking juices in the pan. Then add the Scotch bonnets to a liquidizer with the spring onions, spices, the juice from the limes, ginger, bay leaves, garlic, a squeeze of honey and 2 lugs of extra virgin olive oil. Pulse together until you get a salsa consistency, then mix the salsa into the juices in the roasting tray, have a taste and balance out the salt and acid if needed. It should have attitude and loads of personality. Pour that salsa on to a platter, then pull the crispy crackling off the shoulder, get rid of any flobbery fat underneath, and use two forks to roughly pull the meat apart. Pile the meat on top of the salsa and toss together quickly.

Tear over any coriander leaves and snap those wonderful zigzags of crackling on top of the meat and serve with good quality apple sauce. Rock ’n’ roll!

Recipe from:

jamie's great britain

ingredients

• 5kg free-range shoulder
of pork, bone in, skin on
• sea salt and ground pepper
• a generous pinch each of
dried rosemary and thyme
• 1 whole nutmeg, for grating
• olive oil
• 2 x 500ml bottles of
quality cider
For the jerk salsa
• 1-2 fresh Scotch bonnet chillies
(to taste)
• 2 bunches of spring onions,
trimmed
• 1 level teaspoon ground
cinnamon
• 1 level teaspoon ground cloves
• 2 level teaspoons ground allspice
• 3 limes
• a thumb-sized piece
of fresh ginger, peeled
• a few fresh bay leaves
• 2 cloves of garlic, peeled
• 1-2 tablespoons honey
• extra virgin olive oil
• a large bunch of fresh
coriander

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tried this recipe or a similar one? share your tips...

1. by Jon on Wed 04 Jan 2012 @ 15:16

Does anyone have any thoughts on cooking times for a smaller joint, boneless? I have 2 3kg joints - couldn't get hold of anything larger in the supermarket.

2. by Kim on Mon 19 Dec 2011 @ 22:31

Does anyone know if this is the recipe for the jerk pork he did on his Christmas kid's TV special?

3. by steve on Thu 08 Dec 2011 @ 19:52

i am going to try this on boxing day for a group of friends can i ask does the pork sit in the cider in the roasting tray or should it be on a trivet or rack<br /> <br /> many thanks and keep up the good work

4. by Elliot Matthews on Tue 29 Nov 2011 @ 20:37

Jamie, i just wanted to thank you for being such an inspiration to me in the kitchen. I often try your recipes and more often than not, they are a huge success. Can't wait to try this shoulder of pork in that nice spicy jerk salsa.

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