I made this meal for the first time last year, around the time. I took some pictures and posted it to my personal social channels. I never wrote up the recipe. I made it again a few months later, took some more pictures and still never wrote it up for the blog. Well, finally.

This one is so good when the weather is bit cooler. The oven stays on for a while and to seems to warm the whole house. The pork shoulder also smells so good as it slowly cooks. Everything is delicious on its own but they all become even better when you get a bit of each together.

The rub on the pork is smoky, sweet, salty with a little heat. Sweet potatoes with the glaze add sweet starch and just a little crunch. The green lentils are very earthy. The pesto adds an herbaceous pop of both color and flavor. I garnished with thinly sliced, rinsed and dried green onions which also gave a nice color.

The pork shoulder is pretty cheap and we can eat on this many times. I even freeze a some to put in a Bolognese.

Ingredients

Ingredients for Roast Pork Shoulder

• 3- 4 lbs pork shoulder
• 1 tbsp garlic powder
• 1 tbsp onion powder
• 1 tbsp cayenne pepper
• 1 tbsp smoked paprika
• 1 tbsp Salt
• 2 tbsp brown sugar

Ingredients for Soy Glazed Sweet Potatoes

• 2 medium sweet potatoes
• 3 tbsp reduced sodium soy sauce
• 3 tbsp mirin
• 3 tbsp brown sugar

Ingredients for Green Lentils

• 1 cup green lentils
• Salt and pepper to taste

Ingredients for Arugula, Pecan Pesto

• 2 cups arugula
• 1/2 cup pecans
• 1/2 cup Pecorino Romano cheese
• 1/2 olive oil
• 2 clove garlic
• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

How to make Roast Pork Shoulder

1. In a bowl, mix all the dry rub ingredients to combine. I used about 1 tablespoon of each, but depending on the size of the pork, make enough to cover.
2. Coat the pork on all sides, place in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to overnight.
3. Allow the pork to set out until approximately room temperature.
4. Preheat oven to 475° F.
5. Place the pork in a lined roasting pan and cook for 15 minutes.
6. Reduce the heat to 325° F and continue to cook until internal temperature is approximately 175° F, about 2-4 hours. Remove the pork from the oven and let stand until cool enough to handle, about 30 minutes.

How to make Soy Glazed Sweet Potatoes

1. Clean and dry sweet potatoes.
2. Over medium high heat in a small sauce pan, whisk together the soy sauce, mirin and brown sugar to combine. Cool and set aside.
3. Poke holes all around the sweet potatos with a fork or pairing knife.
4. Place on a microwave safe plate, cover with a paper towel and microwave until just tender. The sweet potatoes should still have some firmness.
5. Once the sweet potatoes have cooled enough to handle, slice them in half inch disks as seen above.
6. Place the disks on a baking sheet and dress with some of the soy mixture.
7. Set your oven to broiler and place the sheet pan in the middle rack under the broiler. As the sweet potatoes start to brown, remove the sheet pan and re-dress with the soy mixture.
8. Watch closely until charred and cooked through.

How to make Green Lentils

1. Bring 3 cups of water or broth to a boil in a medium sauce pan.
2. Stir in 1 cup of the green lentils and boil for 5 minutes.
3. Remove from heat and cover. Let stand for 5 to 10 minutes.
4. Drain, season with salt and pepper and keep warm.

How to make Arugula and Pecan Pesto

1. Add garlic cloves to a food processor or blender and pulse to mince.
2. Add olive oil, arugula, pecans, Pecorino Romano cheese and pulse until chopped and combined. Scape down the sides and pulse until desired consistency.