A Recipe to Pull Off Jerk Pork Shoulder in the Oven (2024)

Peggy Trowbridge Filippone

Peggy Trowbridge Filippone is a writer who develops approachable recipes for home cooks. Her recipes range from Grandma’s favorites to the latest food trends.

Learn about The Spruce Eats'Editorial Process

Updated on 07/23/21

Tested by

Diana Rattray

Tested byDiana Rattray

Southern-cuisine expert and cookbook author Diana Rattray has created more than 5,000 recipes and articles in her 20 years as a food writer.

Learn about The Spruce Eats'Editorial Process

Traditional jerk cooking is deeply embedded in Caribbean cuisines. Food historians place it either as a cultural and gastronomical blend between the foods of local indigenous populations and enslaved Africans who arrived in the area, or as a pure import from Africans who were forced into slavery and used whatever local ingredients they had at hand to imitate cooking methods from back home. Slow cooked, roasted, or grilled, dry rubbed and marinated meats of all types through jerk cooking become fall-off-the-bone succulent meals. They are often accompanied by a variety of dishes, from coconut rice to plantains to a simple side of rice and beans. Our recipe brings to your table a moist and juicy pork shoulder heavily flavored with a spice mix and oven-cooked until tender and coated in a delicious blackened crust.

Jerk cooking is a profound element of Jamaican food and culture, and it has been exported wherever Jamaican immigrants make their homes. With the exception of coveted Scotch bonnet peppers, which are sometimes hard to find in the United States, all the authentic ingredients are available in most supermarkets or Hispanic and Caribbean stores. Jerk is supposed to be spicy, so do not skimp on the peppers. Use habaneros if you can't find Scotch bonnets, and do wear gloves when handling.

For the best flavor, we recommend sticking to the suggested 24 hours of marination, as the longer the pork sits in the jerk sauce, the better the result will be. Plan accordingly, and consider also the oven time (4 hours) and resting time (1 hour) when planning your meal.

"The pork was an easy preparation, but make sure to plan to marinate it for at least 24 hours. Mine marinated for about 36 hours, and it was outstanding. The flavors were excellent, and it wasn't overly hot, despite using 5 habanero peppers. I put the juices in a gravy/fat separator and drizzled them over the sliced meat—delicious!" —Diana Rattray

A Recipe to Pull Off Jerk Pork Shoulder in the Oven (3)

A Note From Our Recipe Tester

Ingredients

For the Spicy Marinade:

1/2 cup ground allspice berries
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
6 to 8cloves garlic
4 to 6 Scotch bonnet peppers, trimmed and seeded
1 tablespoonground dried thyme, or 3 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves
2 bunches scallions, cut into 2-inch pieces
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/4teaspoonfreshly ground black pepper, to taste
See Also
Southern Fried Green Tomatoes Recipe - the hungry bluebird
2 tablespoons soy sauce

For the Roast:

6 to 9 pounds picnic pork shoulder roast, bone-in

Steps to Make It

Gather the ingredients.
Place allspice, brown sugar, garlic, Scotch bonnet peppers, thyme, scallions, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, pepper,and soy sauce in a food processor. Blend until smooth.
With a sharp knife, carefully score the thick fat of the pork shoulder into a diamond pattern, trying to not cut into the meat.
Press and massage a thick coating of the jerk sauce on the exterior of the pork so it is completely covered—gloves are encouraged for this process. Refrigerate any leftover sauce as long as it hasn't been in contact with the raw pork. It will keep for 4 to 5 weeks.
Place the pork ina roasting pan and cover with a lid, foil, or plastic wrap. Refrigerate to marinate at least 24 hours or for up to twodays.
When ready to cook, let the pork sit at room temperature at least one hour or until it reaches room temperature. Then, preheat oven to 450 F.
Line a roasting pan with heavy foil and insert a roasting rack.
Roast pork uncovered for 30 minutes at this high heat, andthen lower the temperature to 325 F.
Roast for an additional 3 to 4 hours. If you notice the crust starting to over-blacken, cover again with aluminum foil. The pork is done when an instant-read thermometer (inserted in the thickest part of the meat away from fat) reads 180 to 190 F.
Remove from the oven and rest for 30 minutes before carving.
Serve with your favorites sides and enjoy!

What to Serve With Jamaican Jerk Pork Roast

If you'd like to make a traditional Caribbean-style meal, here are some ideas for side dishes:

How to Store and Freeze

Refrigerate leftover pork in shallow, airtight containers within 2 hours, and eat within 3 days.
Sliced or shredded pork roast may be frozen for longer storage. Transfer the pork pieces to zip-close freezer bags and freeze for up to 3 months.
To defrost cooked pork, place it in the refrigerator and let it thaw overnight. Reheat and use within the next 24 hours.

Food Safety

While the leftover marinade can be refrigerated for later use, you want to ensure that there is no cross-contamination between raw pork and the marinade, as this introduces bacteria into the sauce that could potentially cause food-borne illnesses. Pour the sauce onto the meat with the help of a utensil and then use your gloved hands to press and massage the coating into the meat.

What is the Best Internal Temperature for Pork Shoulder?

The internal temperature of 145 F is the minimum safe temperature for pork, and it's a good temperature for lean chops, loin, and tenderloin. But pork shoulder, with its fat marbling and connective tissue, is best cooked to at least 170 F. For a moist, tender pork shoulder, cook it to an internal temperature of about 180 F to 190 F.

Helpful Links

Cuts of Pork: a Pig Diagram and Pork Chart

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
1269	Calories
88g	Fat
17g	Carbs
96g	Protein

Show Full Nutrition Label

Nutrition Facts
Servings: 8to 10
Amount per serving
Calories	1269
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 88g	113%
Saturated Fat 32g	161%
Cholesterol 367mg	122%
Sodium 712mg	31%
Total Carbohydrate 17g	6%
Dietary Fiber 2g	9%
Total Sugars 10g
Protein 96g
Vitamin C 10mg	48%
Calcium 164mg	13%
Iron 7mg	37%
Potassium 1482mg	32%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.

(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

Recipe Tags:

Rate This Recipe

I don't like this at all.It's not the worst.Sure, this will do.I'm a fan—would recommend.Amazing! I love it!Thanks for your rating!