Greek-style Roast Pork

SERVES 6 | 30 MINS PREP | 3 HRS COOK TIME

INGREDIENTS

2kg pork shoulder

4 cloves garlic, peeled and cut into slivers

4 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

2 Tbsp dried thyme

4 Tbsp dried oregano

Salt and pepper to taste

1.5kg potatoes, peeled and quartered

⅓ c lemon juice (2 lemons)

To serve

Greek salad, asparagus or green beans

METHOD

Preheat oven to 170°C. Place an oven rack in the centre of the oven.

Place the pork shoulder on a chopping board. Pat the skin dry with paper towel. Using a sharp knife, make shallow cuts diagonally across the skin about 2cm apart. Rotate 90 degrees and make shallow cuts 2cm apart diagonally across the skin to create a diamond pattern.

Stab the pork meat all over and insert a sliver of garlic into each cut. Drizzle pork with 2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil. Rub to coat evenly. Season pork with the thyme, 2 Tbsp of the oregano, salt and pepper.

Transfer the pork with the skin side facing up, to a foil lined roasting tray. Place tray in oven and roast for 2 hours and 30 minutes at 170°C.

While the pork is cooking, place the cut potato in a bowl. Drizzle with 2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil and 1/3 cup lemon juice which is the juice of approximately 2 lemons. Season potatoes with 2 Tbsp of the oregano, salt and pepper. Mix to combine.

After roasting the pork for 2 hours and 30 minutes, remove tray from oven and turn the oven temperature up to 230°C.

Add the potatoes to the tray around the pork. Lift up the lower end of the pork so that the skin sits flat like a table and use potatoes to hold up the pork. This helps the skin receive even heat to form crackling.

Once the oven has reached 230°C, return tray to the oven. Roast for 30-40 minutes until skin is crispy and crackled all over and the potatoes are golden and cooked through.

Remove tray from oven and cover with foil to keep warm. Rest for 15 minutes. Gently pull out the bones which will slide out easily. Carve pork into thick slices and serve with lemon potatoes, Greek salad, asparagus or green beans.