What's This Mystery Meat?

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Cookery

Assistant Cook
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Mar 27, 2021
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16
Location
Surrey
Hi, all. Hoping for some help. My wife got offered different pork cuts at work as a donation to staff. She took a 3 kg (6.6 lb) item. The outside is labelled "Pork - rolled roast." I was going to cook it this week and was looking up recipes but when I looked, it seemed rolled pork could mean loin, shoulder, belly or brisket. I thawed it and am posting a picture so people can help identify it. The image is at the link below.

Questions:
  1. It doesn't look likely belly to me but other than that, I don't know? What cut is this rolled pork roast?
  2. Anybody got a great recipe for whatever this is likely with some vegetables too?
Thanks!
 

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I can't be sure exactly where it came from. I'm pretty sure it's a cut that will benefit from low and slow cooking. Pork loins and tenderloins are a much lighter color ("...the other white meat"). They're from muscles that don't do a lot of hard work. This appears to be from a harder working muscle group. It won't be super tender like a loin roast. It will do well braised or slow-roasted. Maybe smoke it low and slow.
 
Sorry, I don't know how to do smoking. Is it shoulder then? Can I roast it in the oven?
 
Andy M. said:
I can't be sure exactly where it came from. I'm pretty sure it's a cut that will benefit from low and slow cooking. Pork loins and tenderloins are a much lighter color ("...the other white meat"). They're from muscles that don't do a lot of hard work. This appears to be from a harder working muscle group. It won't be super tender like a loin roast. It will do well braised or slow-roasted. Maybe smoke it low and slow.
Click to expand...

I'm also thinking something along the line of shoulder/butt. Those are sometimes tied.

If so, definitely cook it low and slow (250F/120C). The intramuscular fat will need to slowly render, or it will e tough. It could be roasted, braised, and my favorite, smoked. You will know it is done when a probe thermometer, or a skewer or a small knife slides through the meat with almost no effort. Do not go by time or internal temperature, go by feel. BBQ folks call it "probe tender." A roast that size could easily take five hours (or more) to reach "probe tender."

CD
 
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Cookery, if that is a "rolled roast" from the UK (and you appear to be from Surrey) then you should weigh it, and then find a brilliant recipe for stuffing it and roasting it! (In the oven)
 
KatyCooks said:
Cookery, if that is a "rolled roast" from the UK (and you appear to be from Surrey) then you should weigh it, and then find a brilliant recipe for stuffing it and roasting it! (In the oven)
Click to expand...

It is 3 KG (6.6 LBS), so it is a pretty big roast. It may not be rolled. Sometimes pork butt/shoulder is tied just to keep it from falling apart if the blade bone has been removed.

I buy mine with the blade bone in. That makes a perfect doneness tester. When that blade bone can be pulled out with very little effort, the roast is done.

CD
 
caseydog said:
I'm also thinking something along the line of shoulder/butt. Those are sometimes tied.

If so, definitely cook it low and slow (250F/120C). The intramuscular fat will need to slowly render, or it will e tough. It could be roasted, braised, and my favorite, smoked. You will know it is done when a probe thermometer, or a skewer or a small knife slides through the meat with almost no effort. Do not go by time or internal temperature, go by feel. BBQ folks call it "probe tender." A roast that size could easily take five hours (or more) to reach "probe tender."

CD
Click to expand...
Thanks. Great replies from everyone. If I go this way at 250, a couple of questions:

1. Was looking a recipe and it had the roast on a wire rack. Is that ok?
2. Also, was going to put potatoes carrots and onions underneath with some apple juice. If I do this, when should the vegetables go in at that temperature?
 
Last edited:
KatyCooks said:
Cookery, if that is a "rolled roast" from the UK (and you appear to be from Surrey) then you should weigh it, and then find a brilliant recipe for stuffing it and roasting it! (In the oven)
Click to expand...
Surrey, Canada, actually :) Right next to Vancouver.
 
caseydog said:
It is 3 KG (6.6 LBS), so it is a pretty big roast. It may not be rolled. Sometimes pork butt/shoulder is tied just to keep it from falling apart if the blade bone has been removed.

I buy mine with the blade bone in. That makes a perfect doneness tester. When that blade bone can be pulled out with very little effort, the roast is done.

CD
Click to expand...
Agreed CD. It may not be rolled. (and it is a large chunk of meat!) Personally, I would cut it into smaller chunks or have a big party!
 
Cookery said:
Thanks. Great replies from everyone. If I go this way at 250, a couple of questions:

1. Was looking a recipe and it had the roast on a wire rack. Is that ok?
2. Also, was going to put potatoes carrots and onions underneath with some apple juice. If I do this, when should the vegetables go in at that temperature?
Click to expand...

If you want, you can put it on a wire rack, or in roasting pan with a rack, like you would use with a turkey.

You can put chunks of onion under your roast, using the onions a rack. I'd put some liquid in with the onions, such as chicken stock, to keep the onions from drying out. That liquid will also keep the humidity up in the oven. As for potatoes and carrots, I'd wait until you are down to the last part of the cook so they don't overcook.

If your shoulder roast is done before everything else, you can wrap it in some foil, then wrap that with a few towels, and it can rest for a long time while you get everything else ready. I have taken a slow smoked shoulder out, wrapped it in foil and towels, and put it in a cooler for hours, and it was still hot. Plus, the juices redistribute during that time and make the roast really moist.

If you haven't guessed, pork shoulder is one of my favorite things to BBQ. And, it is one of the most forgiving cuts of meat to cook/smoke. People just beginning to learn how to BBQ meat should always start with pork shoulder. It is the hardest cut to mess up.

CD
 
You can also cut it up and use for stews, curries etc.
I agree with it looking like a cut that can do with slow cooking like the others say
(Braising, smoking, slow roast)
 
That is a Boston butt pork roast. I pop a seven lb. one in the slow cooker with just enough vegetable oil to keep it from sticking, and cook it for about four hours. The fat renders out along with juices, and after chilling can be skimmed and the juices used for cooking the vegetables. Or you can cool the roast and make pulled pork for sandwiches.
 
I would make a pot roast.

Rub the roast with salt, pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, etc…

Sear the roast on all sides in a little oil to get some color on it, cover and roast in a 350f oven for 1 1/2 - 2 hours, add vegetables and roast an additional 1 - 1 1/2 hours.

When vegetables are done remove roast and vegetables to a platter and tent with foil while you make a pan gravy.

You could also roast it using the same method on a bed of sauerkraut with onions, chopped apples, and chopped mushrooms. Serve with mashed potatoes and carrot coins.

🐷🐷🐷
 
Badjak said:
You can also cut it up and use for stews, curries etc.
I agree with it looking like a cut that can do with slow cooking like the others say
(Braising, smoking, slow roast)
Click to expand...

If it is pork shoulder, as several of us think it is, you are so right. It can be used for so many good things. I don't like curries, but it is good for that. I have used it for Carolina pulled pork, Cuban roast pork, Mexican carnitas, low and slow American stews... it is a very versatile cut of meat.

It seems like many of us agree that it needs to be cooked for a long time at a low temperature.

CD
 
Thats a pork shoulder (aka Boston butt) roast.

Id make it into pulled pork or into a cuban kind of roast.

It does need to be cooked low and slow.
 
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