Roast Pork Shoulder with Myrtle and Wild Fennel

La storia di questo piatto

This dish carries the breath of the Sardinian macchia — wild myrtle crushed underfoot, fennel bending in the wind between ancient stones — a land that has always fed its people with what it keeps secret in its scrubland. It is not simply food; it is a pact between a shepherd and his island, sealed with smoke and salt.

Ingredienti

• 1.5 kg Fresh pork shoulder
• 80 g Fresh myrtle berries
• 30 g Wild fennel
• 4 cloves Garlic
• 2 sprigs Fresh rosemary
• 1 tablespoon Coarse sea salt
• 1 teaspoon Ground black pepper
• 250 ml Dry white wine
• 500 ml Warm vegetable broth
• 60 ml Extra virgin olive oil

Preparazione

1. Pat the shoulder dry thoroughly with paper towels—this is essential for developing a beautiful crust later—and set it aside on a clean, dry surface. Finely mince the myrtle, wild fennel, garlic, rosemary, salt, and pepper together until you have a fragrant and perfectly uniform mixture that should already be intoxicating you with its aroma. Using the tip of a sharp knife, make deep incisions into the meat and fill each one with a portion of the herb mixture, pushing it firmly all the way to the bottom with your fingers: this way the flavor penetrates to the heart of the shoulder, not just the surface.
2. Massage the entire shoulder with the remaining aromatic mixture, pressing firmly on every side as though you're giving it a savory caress. Cover it tightly with plastic wrap and let it rest in the refrigerator: here time does the work for you, as the aromas gradually penetrate into the muscle fibers. If you have the patience to wait the full 24 hours instead of just 12, you'll taste the difference in the very first bite.
3. Preheat your oven to 160°C and let it come to temperature while you prepare your pan. Warm a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil in a non-stick skillet and sear the shoulder on all sides, turning it gently so as not to break the crust that forms. It should become golden and fragrant, almost toasted: that little crust is what seals in the juices and delivers all the flavor.
4. Transfer the shoulder carefully to a baking dish, taking care not to break it apart. Pour the white wine directly onto the hot bottom of the dish and let the alcohol cook off for a few minutes while you use a spoon to scrape up and dissolve all the flavorful browned bits stuck to the bottom: you'll notice the aroma transforms, becoming sweeter and more rounded. Then add vegetable broth until it comes halfway up the meat, so it cooks gently in its flavorful bath without drying out.
5. Seal the baking dish tightly with aluminum foil, like a blanket that traps all the heat and moisture inside. Put it in the oven and let it cook slowly, basting the meat with its cooking liquid every 45 minutes to keep it tender and glistening. You'll know it's ready when a fork slides into the meat and it parts effortlessly, almost shredding at the slightest touch.
6. Remove the shoulder from the oven and let it rest covered: during this quiet moment the juices redistribute throughout the meat and the carving will be cleaner and more succulent. Meanwhile, strain the cooking liquid through a fine-mesh sieve, using a spoon to remove the excess fat that floats on the surface. What remains is a rich and fragrant pan sauce: taste it before serving, and adjust the salt if needed.