Slow roast pork that’s caramelised on the outside, ultra tender on the inside, with syrupy sweet-savoury-buttery juices. You could totally make this using a whole roast, but using large pieces means more surface area = more golden sticky caramelised goodness!
This is an ideal recipe for pork neck / collar butt – also known as pork scotch roast. Brilliant pork cut for both fast and slow cooking!
Slow roast pork recipe
As I was thinking what to say about this recipe, a feeling of deja vu swept over me. I freaked out, wondering if I had already published it….
And then it suddenly dawned on me. This recipe is almost like the baked non-Asian version of Vietnamese Coconut Caramelised Pork!
The same sweet-savoury flavour with incredible caramelised surfaces, but this doesn’t have the Vietnamese flavours.
Also, this Roast Pork is also a bit more hands off because it’s roasted, rather than cooked on the stove. No stirring, just pop it in the oven and set the timer.
“This roast pork is slow roasted so the flesh becomes tender and the outside is caramelised. By using smaller pieces, we keep the roasting time under 2 hours!”
Best pork for caramelised pork roast
Ultra tender insides and golden caramelised outsides calls for a slow cooking cut of pork and for this one, I use pork shoulder aka pork butt.
It also works brilliantly with pork scotch roast aka pork neck / collar butt. It’s a brilliant pork cut widely available in Australia that’s suited to both fast and slow cooking. I throw pork scotch fillet steaks on the barbie, and I slow cook it for things like this pork roast and Chinese BBQ Pork (Char Siu). Here’s a photo of this Brown Sugar Garlic Butter Pork Roast made with scotch fillet roast cut in half lengthwise (see note 1 of recipe)
That brown sugar braising sauce!
Four ingredients – brown sugar, butter, vinegar (to balance out the sweet) and garlic, plus salt & pepper. Simmer to dissolve the sugar, then pour it all over the pork.
Pop it in the oven and out comes this:
THIS being the most incredible deeply golden, caramelised crust enclosed around juicy, tender pork, sitting in a buttery syrup that you want to drown the pork in.
Sweet? Yes. If you don’t like sweet-savoury foods, this recipe isn’t for you.
And it needs to be paired with the right protein. Sweet works brilliantly with pork. But this recipe would probably be too sweet for chicken. For beef, I think it would need a kick of something else to work with the strong beefy flavours, perhaps a good hit of cracked pepper.
I’m rambling. I’ll stop. Recipe time! – Nagi x
PS Pictured in the top photo with this Everyday Cabbage Salad peeking out of the corner. Extra recipe for today, goes great with this pork!!
More pork roast recipes to try!
Pork Carnitas – Mexican Slow Cooker Pulled Pork
Char Siu – Chinese BBQ Pork
Cuban Mojo Roast Pork (from the Chef Movie!)
WATCH HOW TO MAKE IT
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Brown Sugar Garlic Butter Pork Roast
Ingredients
- 1.75 – 2kg / 3.5 – 4lb pork shoulder / butt , cut into 8 equal pieces (Note 1)
- 1 tsp each salt and pepper
Sauce:
- 100 g / 7 tbsp unsalted butter
- 1/2 cup / 80g brown sugar , loosely packed
- 1/4 cup / 65 ml cider vinegar (white wine or red wine vinegar also fine)
- 4 garlic cloves , minced
- 1/4 tsp each salt and pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 160C/320F (standard) or 140C/290F (fan).
- Place Sauce ingredients in a saucepan over medium heat. Once better has melted, stir to combine then leave for 1 – 2 minutes until sugar is melted. Remove from heat.
- Sprinkle pork pieces all over with salt and pepper.
- Line pan with foil then parchment / baking paper, place pork in pan.
- Pour Sauce all over pork. Cover with foil. Bake for 1 hour 15 minutes.
- Remove from oven, remove foil. Turn pork. Return to oven uncovered for 20 minutes.
- Remove from oven. Turn pork, spoon pan juices over. Return to oven for 20 – 30 minutes or until pork is golden and sauce has reduced to a thin syrup (thickens more when it cools).
- Stand for 5 minutes, then turn pork to coat in sauce. Serve pork with syrupy pan sauce. Pictured in post with this Everyday Cabbage Salad.
Recipe Notes:
Nutrition Information:
LIFE OF DOZER
Next Hollywood blockbuster – The Great Toy Heist.
Can I use bone in pork shoulder? That is what is on sale this week!
That’s what I use in this! 🙂
O M G!!!! Nagi, I love you! I made this today and it was DELICIOUS, SCRUMPTIOUS and everything god!! I paired it with leek fried rice with an egg on top, that when cut all the gooeyness of the egg acted as sauce; DELISH!! Thank you so very much!
WHOOT WHOOT!!!! So glad you loved this Jean!! N xx
Hi Nagi, I intend to make this for tomorrow night’s dinner. I have a pork scotch roast. Could this be used successfully? Love your recipes
Sorry, Nagi. I just noticed your reference to pork scotch roast in your recipe notes.
Regards, Martin
No worries! BTW, here is a photo of what Scotch roast looks like if you halve it lengthwise instead of into cubes per the recipe. It’s so good! -> https://salesdock.info/tachyon/2018/08/Brown-Sugar-Caramelised-Pork-Roast_Scotch-Fillet.jpg%3C/a%3E%3C/p%3E
THANK YOU for your crock pot addendum! Will be thinking of you while using more than 1 napkin!
How did this dish turn out using the crock pot? Would like to use this method this weekend
😂
I’m making this tonight, it looks delicious!!
Hope you love it Michelle! N xx
Wow, your porks look really tender and delicious with the glossy sauce! I’d like to have this in one of my night meal 😍
– Natalie Ellis
Thanks Natalie!!
Hi Nagi, Five stars from us. The aroma is as mouthwatering as the dish. fantastic singing on the video. Could you let us know the title and artist? Thanks in advance.
Thanks for the feedback Lisa! Glad you enjoyed this 🙂 The music is called We Can’t Slow Down by Origami Pigeon, it’s a stock music track I purchased for recipe videos! N x
Like others I will try these when the temps are lower. Would this recipe work with pork chops?
Absolutely! I was thinking myself that I’d like to try this with chops. I need to check the cook time though so keep an eye out for the chops version! N x
Thanks Nagi! I’ll post how the chops come out too. LOVE your recipes!
Dear Nagi,
I am not sure if I am following you or Dozer. Probably both! Puh-leeze, as other fans have asked, can I make this in a crock pot and how would you tweak it? Of course, the meal was FABULOUS! AND, do you have an equally great recipe for cabbage rolls? Your fans are ethnic, too.
Galina from Michigan
Hi Galina! I am very confident this can be made in the slow cooker because it’s similar to another pork roast I’ve done 🙂 I’ve popped directions in the notes! N x
so yummy, thank you for shring i struggled to cook it the first time but managed to do it and it’s soo delicious thank you.
YES YES YES!!!!! So glad you enjoyed this! N xx
Hi Nagi..I am going to experiment with your recipe using an alternative sweetner (I am diabetic)..it’s made from coconut sap and is low in glycerin index..will let you know how it tastes and turns out.
Dozer we are having below average weather cool I may consider woolies also for Luca..spoilt brat tooo many toys
I’d be so interested to hear how it turns out!
Your comment section on this post is literally, like, the stereotype of a big food blogger’s comment section. Part bizarre, part nice, part rude, part effusive, part demanding. I can’t help but laugh and cry and I honestly don’t know how you bloggers cope with this on a daily basis. Bless.
Regardless… I absolutely love this dish. And I agree with the commenter just above – you have so many recipes involving fatty pork and I love it. Thank you for all that you do, Nagi. <3
I have to confess, I love the conversation on my website! 🙂 I love hearing what people think, I learn things and I do actually appreciate constructive feedback. I don’t get it right 100% of the time, and people do things differently!!! Glad you like this recipe Melissa – PS fatty pork rocks. N x
wow! I was eating this about 2 hours after the recipe hit my inbox… its AMAZING! So so moreish!!!
I am struggling with what to have with it?? What would you suggest??
I LOVE HEARING THAT!!! I linked a cabbage salad in the post that I served on the side of this in the recipe, did you see it? It pairs really well with this! Then mashed potato or pureed cauliflower or bread to mop up all that sauce, or try serving it on rolls!
thanks the tips Nagi!
Mashed potatoes and coleslaw.
Always…. 😂
Hi Nagi, this looks amazing and I can’t wait to try it out! Apart from the salad, is there anything else you would recommend pairing this with?
Hi Rachel! Definitely something like mashed potato or mashed cauliflower, or bread to mop up all that sauce 🙂 OR try serving it on rolls! Can you imagine all those juices soaking into the bread???
Would love to make this in an Instant Pot. Do you recommend it? Thank you!
Hi Lu! I added slow cooker directions in the recipe notes which you can adapt for your IP! N x
Hi Nagi – you have a wonderful website. Beautiful pictures and fantastic easy to follow recipes. Did you teach yourself how to make the videos and are you intending on sharing your knowledge with a book as you have done with your photography?
Hi Debbie, thank you for the compliment! Yes I did teach myself, there’s really no course for this kind of videos! I hadn’t planned on making a book on videos because I don’t consider myself an expert, but if you do a little google, you will find some recipe video courses are now available! N x
No internet, good weekend! Just CHIL out. Keep Your SELFS warm and Enjoy the LIFE!
The BEST relaxing I do nowadays is only when there is no internet!!!
Hi Nagi,
I have a birthday party coming up. I am thinking about making a massive grazing table for 15 people. Will you be able to make some suggestions for a list of items (no pork) for a grazing table? Also, it will be very helpful if you can start a little section with party menu with theme. Like if one is having a party for 10 people and it’s thai style or bbq or indian etc etc party, a list of apps, salads, main course and desserts. Also, whenever I need genuine indian food recipe I go to website food fusion.com and they have an app so its super easy for me to follow on phone while making any recipe. Do you have an app too? Let me know.
Thanks,
Um
LOL, just let her know when you’ll send the check!
For the recipes she posts, I will pay!
Hi, Nagi,
What about doing this in a crock pot and then pan browning? If so, how long should it cook? Too hot for the oven!
Hi Donna! Yep, I think that will work great! I’ve added directions in the recipe notes, I hope that helps! N x
If it cools down even just a little bit on the US east coast, I will be making that….to go with mashed potatoes, fresh butter & sugar corn on the cob, and fresh sliced heirloom tomatoes & cukes in a garden salad! We love roasted pork and that looks divine! Also, love the idea of cutting it apart for more surface caramelizing, too, since that is Always the best part! I’ve already been longing for crisp Autumn mornings and lovely cool days, again, but don’t think I can wait that long to make this. We already keep a very cool house, because my husband might be part snow penguin, but will blast it a bit colder yet, just to fire up the oven for a couple of hours to make this!
Oh no, don’t long for autumn!! Enjoy the summer while it lasts!!! N xx
Hi Nagi! I hope you have a restful and relaxing weekend at the cabin! Dozer looks content. Lol.
This pork is making my mouth water. Yum!
It’s thundering and raining here and getting closer so time to get off my phone! Lol.
Thanks J! It was absolutely wonderful – no internet is the only way I can truly relax nowadays!!! Hope you had a great weekend too! Not too stormy 🙂 N x
😀