How to Make Best Fall-Apart Pork Shoulder Roast

This fall-apart roasted pork shoulder roast is an easy one-pot dinner idea. Just throw all the ingredients in the Dutch oven in the afternoon and you have yourself a hearty and delicious dinner that night. The apple and cranberry add sweet and festive flavors of fall and winter.

If you’re like me, nothing beats having a one-pot dinner recipe to pop in the oven, go about your day, and return hours later to a delicious meal ready for you! Read on to find out how to make the best fall-apart pork shoulder roast.

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Why We Love This Recipe

I love a recipe that uses one pot with simple ingredients that I can just throw in the oven after lunch, return a few hours later, and dinner is done.

My roasted chicken recipe is another favorite. Put that baby in the oven and I get a whole 90 minutes to workout or do whatever I need to do.

The end result of the recipe I’m sharing today is a delicious, fall-off-the-bone pork roast. It ends up being kind of like a shredded pork dish, that’s how tender it is.

I also love anything that uses whole garlic. My husband and I both like to eat the garlic whole, after it has been roasting in all the seasonings and pork juices. It is soooo good.

I also highly recommend a farm fresh, good quality pork. If you’ve ever eaten pork and didn’t like it – thought it tasted too fatty, or not tender enough, it may have just been low quality pork. I was never a big pork fan until my local store started carrying pork from a farm nearby. Now I make this pork roast nearly every week and look forward to it!

More Fall/Winter Recipes from the Homestead

Cracker Barrel-Inspired Skillet Breakfast

Butternut Squash & Beef Tacos

Homemade Ravioli without a Pasta Maker

From-Scratch Pumpkin Bread

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Equipment Needed

Large Dutch oven

Chopping knife

Cutting Board

Tongs

Measuring cups and spoons

Ingredients

3-4 pound pork shoulder roast (you can use bone in pork shoulder or boneless pork shoulder, cooking times are shown for each below)

3-5 potatoes, depending on size, chopped

2-3 carrots, depending on size, chopped

olive oil

1 1/2 cups homemade bone broth

8 cloves garlic, whole

1 cup organic cranberries (optional)

1 apple, chopped (optional)

Pork Seasoning:

2 tablespoons brown sugar (or maple syrup)

2 tsp paprika

1 1/2 tablespoon salt (add only 1 tablespoon if you are using store-bought bone broth)

1 tsp pepper

2 tsp freshly chopped rosemary. I used one big rosemary sprig because thats what I had.

The Process – How to Make Pork Fall off the Bone

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.

Drizzle the Dutch oven with olive oil and preheat on medium high heat. Sear the pork shoulder for 1 minute on all sides, using tongs to rotate.

Meanwhile, add all the seasoning ingredients to a small bowl and stir to combine.

Remove the Dutch oven from the stove and set the pork shoulder aside. Add the potatoes, carrot, apple, cranberries, garlic, and bone broth to the bottom of the pot. Return the pork to the Dutch oven, on top of all those layers.

I find its best to use your hands for this next part. Using the seasoning you made in your bowl, lather and massage the pork with seasoning. Make sure to cover all sides. Also, drizzle some seasoning over the potatoes and veggies. Use it all up, don’t be shy! Top with a rosemary sprig if you have one.

Cover the Dutch oven with a lid and cook for 4 hours for a bone-in, or 5 hours for boneless pork shoulder. You might be tempted to Google “What temperature is pork done” and you’ll find out its about 145 F. However, this temperature is too low if you want the “fall off the bone” pork. Pork shoulder cooked until 205 degrees F will literally fall off the bone. That is the temperature to aim for fall-apart meat.

Now I know this isn’t the most beautiful looking photo, but see! There’s the bone on the left, and there’s the pork falling off it. If you punch this pork with a fork right now, it instantly falls apart.

The Secret to Best Pork Roast

Well, there’s a couple.

First, slow roasting is always best. Roast a 3-4 pound pork shoulder for 4-5 hours to achieve the best flavor and texture.

Second, you might be tempted to Google “what temperature is pork done” and you’ll find out its about 145 F. However, this temperature is too low if you want the “fall off the bone” pork. Keep that pork cookin’ until 205 degrees F and watch how it starts falling off the bone. This is the only time I know of where cooking meat LONGER makes it SOFTER.

FAQs:

What temperature does pork shoulder fall apart?

205 F is the optimal temperature for a fall-apart roasted pork shoulder.

Does pork shoulder get more tender the longer it cooks?

Yep. This pork shoulder roast recipe calls for a longer cooking time until the meat reaches 205 F so that the meat falls apart with your fork.

Does pork shoulder roast shred?

Pork shoulder roast shreds when it reaches a temp of about 205 degrees F and you can then turn it into pulled pork for even more meals. We like to use the leftover pulled pork for tacos or just on it’s own for a delicious lunch the next day.

Why is my pork shoulder roast tough?

It could be that you didn’t cook it long enough. Although pork is safe to eat at 145 degrees F, you want to cook it until about 205 degrees F. The longer cook time breaks down the meat and makes it super tender.

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