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Gourounopoula
Gourounópoula: Kalamata-style slow-roast pork shoulder with garlic, orange and oregano
At the summer festivals of Messinia, whole young pigs are roasted overnight in bakers' wood ovens, then sold by the kilo at stalls with bread and pickled peppers. This home version uses a bone-in pork shoulder, rubbed with garlic, orange zest, oregano and chilli, left in the fridge overnight, and roasted low and slow until the meat pulls apart and the crackling shatters. Serve with lemon potatoes and a cabbage salad. Common mistake: wet skin — dry it well and salt it the night before, or it never crackles. Chef's tip: start covered at a low heat and finish uncovered at a high heat; that's how the meat stays juicy and the skin turns glassy.
- Total time
- 290 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 8
Ingredients
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What you'll need
Fresh ingredients (4)
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Method
0/5 doneStep 1: The day before, pat 5 ½ lb bone-in pork shoulder, skin on dry. Mix 8 cloves garlic, the zest of 1 orange, 1 tbsp dried oregano, ½ tsp chilli flakes, 1 tsp black pepper and 2 tbsp olive oil and rub into the meat underneath and on the sides, keeping it off the skin. Rub 1 tbsp coarse sea salt into the skin and cuts. Refrigerate uncovered overnight.
15 minStep 2: Take the pork out of the fridge 1 hour before cooking. Heat the oven to 325°F (275°F fan).
60 minStep 3: Set the pork skin side up in a roasting tin. Pour the orange juice, 1 lemon and 1 ¼ cups water around it, cover the meat (not tightly) with foil and roast for 3 hours 30 minutes, until a fork slides in easily.
210 minStep 4: Remove the foil, brush the skin with the rest of 2 tbsp olive oil and raise the oven to 450°F (400°F fan). Roast for 25–30 minutes more, until the skin is puffed, blistered and crackling. The meat should be well above 145°F — for pulling apart, about 194°F.
30 minStep 5: Rest for at least 15 minutes, loosely covered, then pull or slice the meat and break the crackling into pieces. Spoon over the skimmed pan juices.
15 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 610 kcal
- Protein
- 52 g
- Carbs
- 3 g
- Fat
- 43 g
- Fibre
- 0 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does gourounopoula take?
- About 290 minutes in total: 20 minutes to prepare and 270 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 8 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of garlic?
- ½ tsp garlic paste or ⅛ tsp garlic powder per clove.
- What can I use instead of orange?
- Mandarins or clementines, same weight.
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