A friend of mine endearingly refers to this as Pork Fantino, or Pork F. for short. She recently made a big batch for her wedding and small dusty rolls and her guests made their own pulled pork sliders. I can't remember why I first put cinnamon in this recipe now but it's precisely what makes it so hauntingly delicious.
Pork Shoulder (6lbs or so) (bone in)
8 cloves garlic, peeled
1/2 bunch rosemary, chopped
2½ tsp cinnamon
1½ teaspoon cayenne
1 teaspoon coriander
2 star anise, broken up
Salt
Lots of Pepper
Oil, peanut oil is best, but grapeseed is good too
With a paring knife stab the pork shoulder repeatedly all over, making deep incisions. Slash the fat side with long criss-cross lines. Next, with your finger probe each stab wound open so that it can be filled. Fill each wound with one clove of garlic, or if you wish, cut the cloves in half lengthwise and insert half a clove. Next. Rub lightly with oil, just enough to coat all sides top and bottom. Sprinkle liberally with the powdered spices and chopped herbs, these are guidelines and you should feel free to load it up with more. It may seem like a lot of strong spice but the mass of meat on the inside is essentially unseasoned, so go big. Do the same with the salt and pepper, Place the shoulder on a sheet pan or hotel pan or roasting pan (whatever you have that is large enough to hold it) FAT SIDE UP. Scatter the star anise petals and pieces on top of the fat side.
Meanwhile you’ve preheated an oven to 250-275F. Place the roast in the oven and let roast for about 8 hours (overnight). The fat will crisp up into an unctuous dark bark and the meat should be tender when you poke a fork into it.
A nice variation is to slice a few oranges and limes and place them on top during roasting.
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