Pork crust roast

This succulent pork crust roast is infused with flavours of thyme, basil, honey, vinegar and soy sauce. The caramelized crackling crust and pink juicy meat along with garlicky baked beans make a perfect treat for you and your family. They will sing your praises.

How many times you wanted to make a roast but you were not sure how? Or maybe you were sceptical about the results. Check this recipe and you’ll see how easy it is. More, this is another dish that gets ready on its own, while you relax. Wink. Just like these BBQ spareribs. In fact, I was playing badminton while the ribs were roasting. So simple but so delicious. Give it a try.

The pork cut I bought weighed 1300g and it was thick and wide. It cooked for about 75 minutes. Therefore, if you have a long and thinner cut of meat, it will cook a bit faster. Keep checking on it. You can also use a thermometer.

Pork crust roast is great to pair with plenty of things. For instance, with a nice green salad, grilled vegetables or some baked potatoes. However, I made a lovely garlicky baked beans side dish. Sweet roasted garlic smashed into a paste and combined with onions and creamy baked beans. You’re going to love it.

Make the roast look beautiful with a crosshatch pattern

Furthermore, scoring the fat before you cook it, results in a greater surface exposed to the heat. As a result, the meat is cooked evenly and the crust gets that gorgeous browned colour. Besides that, scoring the fat allows the meat to absorb the marinade. And the roast looks more beautiful, too. The most popular scoring patterns are crosshatch or diamond pattern.

More, I also left the thin skin on the pork. You can either remove it and bake it separately or leave it on. Whatever you do, keep the fat layer on the meat. Fat means flavour and protection. In other words, the layer of fat adds flavour and moisture to the meat. The roast stays juicy and keeps a lovely pink inside.

The marinade is a must when making a roast. Easy to make with plenty of combinations. The marinade flavours penetrate through the scored fat into the pork roast and make it incredibly delicious. I’ve made a delicious sweet aromatic marinade. All delicious things, such as basil, thyme, honey, soy sauce, vinegar, olive oil and brown sugar are combined in it. Everything you need to get that lovely caramelized crust. However, if you like a spicy and more exotic marinade, check this Thai marinade.

Additionally, giving the roast a moment to rest is very important. In fact, the rest helps redistribute and lock in the juices. As a result, the meat will be very succulent.

Also, if you should have any leftovers of the meat, I have a couple of ideas on how to use them. You can add thinly sliced leftovers in a sandwich, taco or ramen. They make a delicious breakfast along with sunny side up eggs, too. And, you can enjoy them either cold or warm.

Ingredients for 4-5 portions of pork crust roast:

• 1300 g pork shoulder (or pork butt)
• a handfull of fresh basil
• a handfull of fresh thyme
• 2 tsp of honey
• 3 tsp of soy sauce
• a pinch of salt
• 2 Tbsp of vinegar
• 3 Tbsp of olive oil
• 1-2 Tbsp of brown sugar
• 1-2 heads of garlic
• 4 spring onions (chopped)
• 1 large yellow onion (sliced)
• 200 g canned baked beans

To begin, prepare the marinade. Combine basil, thyme, honey, sea salt, vinegar, olive oil and soy sauce in a food processor (or in a mortar). Blitz for 30 seconds or until a runny and spreadable paste.

Then, preheat the oven to 200º C and prepare the pork cut. Firstly, rinse it under cold running water and tap it dry with some paper towels. Also, remove the silver skin, if any. Secondly, with a very sharp knife score a crosshatch pattern at 1 cm (or less) intervals in the skin-fat, without cutting into the meat.

Thirdly, place it onto a baking dish (skin side up) and massage the paste into the score marks on the pork. Keep one spoon of the paste for garnish. In the end, sprinkle with brown sugar. Also, cut the top (5 mm) of the whole garlic head off, place it next to the pork and drizzle with some olive oil. Put in the oven for about 65-75 minutes.

After 30 minutes or when the garlic is soft, remove it from the baking dish and allow it to cool for a couple of minutes. In the meantime, wash, trim and chop the spring onions and the onion. Drizzle some olive oil in a larger non-sticking pan and add all of the onions.

While the onions are sauteeing, squeeze the garlic cloves out of the skins and mash them with a fork. Once you obtain a smooth paste, stir it into the pan. Then, add the baked beans, season and bring to a light simmer. You might add a splash of water. Cover with a lid and cook for 10-15 minutes, in order to allow all the flavours to bond together.

After the pork is perfectly cooked and the crust is crisp and caramelized, remove it from the oven. Cover with a piece of aluminium foil and allow to rest for 10 minutes.

Finally, cut the pork crust roast into 0,5 cm thick slices (or how you like it) and nicely arrange them over the garlicky baked beans. For the final touch, drizzle some remaining aromatic paste over the pork roast slices.

Enjoy.