Oktoberfest Pork Roast

First garden tomato July 3rd. Brandywine this year, not Cherokee Purple — the Brandywine ripened first, fat and pink and cracked slightly on top the way Brandywines do because Brandywines are not beautiful tomatoes but they are delicious tomatoes, and I will take delicious over beautiful in tomatoes and in most things.

Tomato sandwich over the sink. Same ritual. Same Duke's mayo. Same salt. Same juice down the arm. Connie said mmm again — third year. The mmm is now a tradition alongside the tomato, the two of them arriving together every July like old friends who know where they're welcome.

Fourth of July cookout. The bourbon-glazed ribs. The whole family minus Amber and James who had their own Fourth in Louisville. Earl Thomas is two years and three months and he ate a rib, an actual rib, gnawing on it the way I gnaw on ribs, and Travis took a picture and sent it to me and I already had the picture because I was standing three feet away but I saved his version too because the same rib from two angles is still worth saving.

The bourbon-glazed ribs were the star of the Fourth, but what made that cookout work — what always makes those cookouts work — is having a big, slow-cooked piece of pork at the center of it, something that takes time and rewards patience and fills the whole yard with a smell that pulls people toward the table before you even call them. This Oktoberfest Pork Roast has that same energy: bold, deeply seasoned, built for a crowd, the kind of recipe that earns its place at a holiday table the same way Earl Thomas earned his rib. You just show up and commit.

Prep Time: 20 min | Cook Time: 3 hr | Total Time: 3 hr 20 min | Servings: 8

Ingredients

4 to 5 lb bone-in pork shoulder roast
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon caraway seeds, lightly crushed
1/4 teaspoon ground mustard
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, sliced into thick rings
4 cloves garlic, smashed
1 cup dark beer (such as a lager or amber ale)
1/2 cup chicken or pork broth
2 tablespoons whole-grain mustard
1 tablespoon brown sugar

Instructions

Preheat and season. Preheat oven to 325°F. Combine salt, pepper, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, caraway seeds, and ground mustard in a small bowl. Pat the pork roast dry with paper towels and rub the spice mixture all over, pressing it into any crevices.
Sear the roast. Heat olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Sear the pork on all sides until a deep brown crust forms, about 3 to 4 minutes per side. Transfer the roast to a plate.
Build the braising liquid. Reduce heat to medium. Add the sliced onion to the Dutch oven and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and golden, about 5 minutes. Add the smashed garlic and cook 1 minute more. Stir in the beer, broth, whole-grain mustard, and brown sugar, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot.
Braise low and slow. Return the pork roast to the Dutch oven, nestling it into the liquid. The liquid should come about one-third of the way up the roast. Cover tightly and transfer to the oven. Cook for 2 1/2 to 3 hours, until the pork is fork-tender and pulls apart easily at the bone.
Rest and slice. Remove the roast from the oven and let it rest, covered loosely with foil, for 15 minutes before slicing or pulling. Skim excess fat from the braising liquid and spoon the pan juices over the top to serve.

Nutrition (per serving)

Oktoberfest Pork Roast — The Cookout That Made Earl Thomas a Rib Man