Stuffed & Rolled Shoulder of Pork from Ginger Pig Farmhouse

“Shoulder of pork comes from a well worked muscle, so it needs a long cooking time. The result, though, is well worth the wait, as you will have a beautifully succulent and tasty joint that looks wonderfully appetizing.” from the Ginger Pig Farmhouse cookbook

Serves 10–12

2.5kg (5lb 8oz) boned shoulder of pork
sea salt
freshly ground black pepper
8 large carrots, peeled and left whole
8 banana shallots or small onions, peeled
25g (1oz) flour
1 tsp Dijon mustard
250ml (9fl oz) white wine

For the stuffing
1 tbsp olive oil
2 garlic cloves, crushed, peeled and diced
2 onions, peeled and diced
100g (3½oz) chicken livers, chopped
200g (7oz) minced pork
75g (2½oz) toasted pine nuts
100g (3½oz) stoned
prunes, chopped
100g (3½oz) grated apple
leaves from 1 bunch of sage, chopped
75ml (3fl oz) red wine

Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F/gas mark 6.

First make the stuffing. Heat the olive oil in a pan, add the garlic and onions and sauté until soft. Add the livers, mince, pine nuts, prunes, apple and sage, pour in the red wine and mix well. Bring just to the boil, then transfer to a bowl and set aside until cold.

Open out the pork, skin side down, sprinkle with seasoning and vigorously massage into the meat. Spread the cold stuffing evenly down the middle of the pork, then wrap the meat around it and tie firmly with string.

Arrange the carrots and shallots in a single layer in the bottom of a roasting tin. Sit the meat on top and place in the oven for 25 minutes. Reduce the heat to 170°C/325°F/gas mark 3 and cook for a further 3 hours.

Transfer the pork and vegetables to a carving plate, cover with foil and allow to rest for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, skim the excess fat from the roasting tin, then stir the flour and mustard into the juices. Slowly add the white wine and mix until smooth, then place on the heat and bring to a simmer, constantly stirring so that it does not catch on the bottom. Check the seasoning and adjust the consistency, if necessary, with a little vegetable water.

Remove the string from the pork, break away the crackling, then slice the meat and serve with the carrots and shallots.

Takes 4 hours, plus cooking