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Roasted Pork Shoulder with Turmeric and Lemon Grass

Roasted Pork Shoulder with Turmeric and Lemon Grass

  • Makes
    8 to 10 servings
  • Cook Time
    4¾ hours
  • Active time plus cooling
    20 minutes active
  • Rating

When developing this recipe, we had in mind the Balinese spit-roasted pig called babi guling, which is seasoned with a long list of spices and aromatics. We start by making a paste with fresh lemon grass, shallots and turmeric, then add garam masala to layer in more complex spicing. Don’t trim the fat off the surface of the pork roast—scoring it with a knife creates a surface to which the seasoning paste can adhere. For easy cleanup, line the baking sheet with foil before setting the roast on top.

Ingredients
  • 4

    medium shallots, peeled and quartered

  • 3

    lemon grass stalks, dry outer layers discarded, trimmed to bottom 6 inches and cut into 1-inch lengths

  • 3

    tablespoons packed brown sugar

  • 2

    tablespoons neutral oil

  • 1

    tablespoon garam masala

  • 1

    tablespoon ground turmeric

  • Kosher salt and ground black pepper

  • 5

    pound boneless pork shoulder roast, untrimmed

  • Optional garnish: Thinly sliced scallions OR chopped fresh cilantro OR lime wedges OR sambal OR a combination

Heat the oven to 300°F. In a food processor, process the shallots, lemon grass, sugar, oil, garam masala, turmeric, 1 tablespoon salt and 2 teaspoons pepper to form a paste. With a knife, score a crosshatch pattern into the surface fat on top of the roast. Rub the paste onto all sides of the roast and into the cuts. Place the pork fat side up on a rimmed baking sheet and roast until the center reaches 195°F, about 4 hours. Let rest for 30 minutes, then cut into slices for serving.