Roasting Favorites

Some meals are worth turning the oven on for! Our Ibérico Roasting Favorites are for crispy pork belly, Sunday roasts, and the kind of pulled pork you’ll be sneaking bites of before it makes it to the table. There’s a little something for every kind of cook, whether you’ve got an hour for a garlic-herb lomo or a whole afternoon to let a Boston butt do its thing.

Pick your cut below and start with the cooking basics, or keep scrolling for a recipe. We’ll show you which cuts we like to slice, which ones we cook until they fall apart, and how to turn shanks and hocks into a pot of something worth grabbing a second bowl of. This is how WE like to cook the world’s best pork!

Crispy Maple-Pepper Ibérico Belly

Basic cooking instructions
Roast belly slowly, fat side up, until a fork slides in easily. Finish it in a hot oven to brown the top. If your belly is skin-on, dry the skin well and keep the maple glaze on the cut sides so the skin can crisp.

The recipe
You’ll need 2-3 lb whole pork belly, 1 tsp fine sea salt, 1 tsp cracked black pepper, 1 tbsp maple syrup, and 1 tsp Dijon mustard.

Heat the oven to 300°F. Pat the belly dry, season with salt and pepper, and set it fat side up on a rack over a rimmed pan.
Roast for 2–3 hours, until fork-tender. Start checking around 2 hours.
Raise the oven to 450°F and roast another 5–10 minutes, watching closely as the top browns.
Stir the maple syrup and Dijon together. Brush lightly over the browned fat if skinless, or onto the cut sides if skin-on. Rest for 10 minutes, then slice.

Garlic-Herb Roasted Ibérico Lomo

Basic cooking instructions
Lomo is the loin. For a whole boneless piece, sear it for color and finish it in the oven. Check the center early and take it out once it reaches 145°F. Rest at least 3 minutes before slicing.

The recipe
You’ll need 1½ lb boneless lomo, 1 tbsp olive oil, 1 tsp fine sea salt, ½ tsp black pepper, 2 minced garlic cloves, 1 tsp chopped rosemary, and the zest of ½ lemon.

Heat the oven to 375°F. Pat the lomo dry and season with salt and pepper.
Heat half the oil in an oven-safe skillet over medium-high heat. Sear the lomo until browned on all sides.
Mix the remaining oil with the garlic, rosemary, and lemon zest. Take the skillet off the burner and spread the mixture over the top of the lomo.
Roast until the center reaches 145°F, starting to check after 15 minutes. Rest 5–10 minutes, then slice.

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Basic cooking instructions
Roast bone side down and fat side up. Check the thickest part with a thermometer, keeping the tip away from the bone. Once it reaches 145°F, give it at least 3 minutes to rest before carving.

The recipe
You’ll need a 3 lb bone-in lomo roast, 1 tbsp Dijon mustard, 1 tbsp olive oil, 3 minced garlic cloves, 1 tbsp chopped rosemary, 1½ tsp fine sea salt, and ½ tsp black pepper.

Heat the oven to 350°F. Pat the roast dry and set it bone side down in a roasting pan.
Mix the Dijon, oil, garlic, rosemary, salt, and pepper. Rub it over the exposed meat and fat.
Roast until the center reaches 145°F. For a 3 lb roast, start checking around 45 minutes. If the crust gets dark early, tent it loosely with foil.
Rest for 10–15 minutes. Carve between the bones for thick chops, or remove the bones first for thinner slices.

Rosemary-Dijon Bone-In Lomo Roast

Apple-Cider Braised Small Shoulder Roast

Basic cooking instructions
Brown the shoulder first, then cover it and cook it low and slow with a little liquid. It’s ready when a fork twists easily in the meat. Serve it in thick pieces or pull it apart right in the pan juices.

The recipe
You’ll need a 2 lb small shoulder roast, 1 tsp fine sea salt, ½ tsp black pepper, 1 tbsp neutral oil, 1 sliced onion, 1 cup apple cider, ½ cup chicken stock, 1 tbsp Dijon mustard, and 2 sprigs thyme.

Heat the oven to 300°F. Season the roast with salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a Dutch oven and brown the pork on all sides, then transfer it to a plate.
Cook the onion in the same pot for about 5 minutes. Stir in the cider, stock, and Dijon, scraping up the browned bits. Add the thyme.
Return the pork to the pot, cover, and braise for 2½–3½ hours, until fork-tender.
Rest for 10 minutes, then serve with the soft onions and cider pan juices. Mashed potatoes are especially good here.

Orange & Brown Sugar Jamón Fresco

Basic cooking instructions
Jamón fresco is fresh ham. Roast it like a pork roast, then add the sweet glaze toward the end. Check the thickest part for 145°F before taking it out of the oven, then rest at least 3 minutes before carving.

The recipe
You’ll need a 3 lb jamón fresco roast, 1 tbsp olive oil, 1½ tsp fine sea salt, ½ tsp black pepper, ¼ cup orange juice, 2 tbsp brown sugar, 1 tbsp Dijon mustard, and ½ tsp orange zest.

Heat the oven to 325°F. Pat the roast dry, rub it with oil, salt, and pepper, and place it fat side up in a roasting pan.
Roast until the center reaches about 130°F. Start checking around 50 minutes, since shape and thickness affect the timing.
Simmer the orange juice, brown sugar, Dijon, and zest in a small saucepan for 3–5 minutes, until slightly syrupy. Brush the glaze over the roast.
Return it to the oven and cook until the center reaches 145°F. Rest for 10–15 minutes, then slice thinly.

Basic cooking instructions
An 8–11 lb Boston butt is an all-day roast. Start early, cook it low and slow, and use a probe to check tenderness. For pulled pork, the probe should slide into several spots with very little resistance, often around 195–205°F.

The recipe
You’ll need one 8–11 lb Boston butt, 1 tbsp plus 1 tsp fine sea salt, 2 tbsp brown sugar, 1 tbsp smoked paprika, 2 tsp black pepper, 2 tsp garlic powder, 2 tsp onion powder, ½ cup apple cider, and 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar.

Heat the oven to 275°F. Mix the salt, sugar, and spices, then rub all over the pork.
Set the butt fat side up in a roasting pan. Roast uncovered for 3–4 hours to build a dark crust.
Pour the cider and vinegar into the pan around the pork. Cover tightly with foil and continue roasting until probe-tender. Plan on roughly 9–14 hours total, depending on the size and shape of your roast.
Rest, loosely covered, for 30–45 minutes. Pull the meat and toss it with enough of the pan juices to keep it juicy. Pile it onto buns with slaw or serve it straight from the pan.

Smoky Sunday Boston Butt

Tomato & Herb Braised Ibérico Shanks

Basic cooking instructions
Shanks are made for braising. Brown them first, then cook them covered with liquid partway up the sides. They’re ready when the meat pulls away from the bone easily with a fork.

The recipe
You’ll need 2 pork shanks, 1 tsp fine sea salt, ½ tsp black pepper, 1 tbsp neutral oil, 1 diced onion, 1 chopped carrot, 3 minced garlic cloves, 1 can crushed tomatoes (14–15 oz), 1 cup chicken stock, and 2 sprigs thyme.

Heat the oven to 300°F. Season the shanks and brown them on all sides in the oil in a Dutch oven. Transfer to a plate.
Cook the onion and carrot in the same pot for 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic for 30 seconds, then add the tomatoes, stock, and thyme.
Return the shanks to the pot. Add a splash of stock if needed so the liquid comes about halfway up the meat. Cover and braise for 2½–3½ hours, until fork-tender.
Remove the thyme stems. Spoon the shanks and tomato sauce over creamy grits or mashed potatoes.

Slow-Braised Fresh Ibérico Hocks & White Beans

Basic cooking instructions
Start fresh hocks in a covered pot with broth and aromatics. Give them time to get tender, then pull the meat off the bones and stir it back into the pot. Add canned beans near the end so they stay whole.

The recipe
You’ll need 2 fresh pork hocks, 1 tbsp neutral oil, 1 diced onion, 2 sliced carrots, 2 chopped celery stalks, 3 minced garlic cloves, 4 cups low-sodium chicken stock, 1 bay leaf, ½ tsp fine sea salt, ½ tsp black pepper, and 2 cans white beans (15 oz each), drained and rinsed.

Heat the oven to 300°F. Pat the hocks dry, season with salt and pepper, and brown them in the oil in a Dutch oven. Transfer to a plate.
Cook the onion, carrots, and celery in the same pot for about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic, then add the stock, bay leaf, and hocks.
Bring to a gentle simmer, cover, and transfer to the oven. Braise for 2½–3½ hours, until the meat comes away from the bones easily.
Lift out the hocks, pull the meat from the bones, and discard the bay leaf. Stir the meat and beans into the broth and simmer on the stove for 15 minutes. Taste for salt and serve with cornbread.