I found a sale on bone-in pork shoulder roasts, so guess what's for dinner? This weighed 3.5 lbs (1.6 kg), so according to my old Betty Crocker cookbook tables, it should take 1-1/2 to 2 hours at 325°F (165°C) to reach an internal temperature of 170°F (77°C), slightly more than the USDA minimum temperatures I linked last week.
Speaking of last week, about half of the Cajun seasoning mix I shared in that post was left over, so I tamed it down with about 1 teaspoon of onion powder, 1 teaspoon of dill seasoning mix, and 2 teaspoons of Italian seasoning mix. I used this as a dry rub for the pork, placed it on an orphaned toaster oven broiler tray, and put that in a 9x13" baking pan. We're classy here!
Of course, there was a lot that fell off as I seasoned the meat, so I poured that out of the pan and back on top before popping the works in the oven. Waste not, want not. Besides, I didn't want to save leftover seasonings again.
Real-world roasting was 2-1/4 hours to reach the current USDA recommended internal temperature of 160°F (71°C) after a 3-minute rest. Dinner was completed with home-canned green beans, home-canned apple sauce, and Betty Crocker brand (dairy-free by default) instant mashed potatoes prepared as "3-4 servings" with butter and milk alternatives plus the addition of 1 teaspoon of garlic powder and 1 tablespoon of Italian seasoning mix. In hindsight, 2 teaspoons would have been plenty for that. It was delicious regardless.
My slices came with a lot of the fat from the roast. Even the opposite side wasn't at all dried out, though, and the seasonings were a success. There was a little cayenne kick at the end of each bite, but no one complained of overpowering heat.
This was a fairly painless project aside from the cooking time that bore no relation whatsoever to my old cookbook table. That, or I misread it or miscalculated my estimation. Nonetheless, I can claim to have expanded my recipe repertoire. I also think I can claim progress in my food photography, although this is far from professional.
What was your latest seasonings experiment? Good stories, or links to good recipe posts, might get a bonus $PIZZA reward!
