Pork roasts - boneless? bone in?

[Alice Letseat]

and shoulder vs. sirloin? which to choose, which to choose for a slow roast?

[El Puerco]

I've used boneless pork butts and bone-in shoulders. Bone-in seems to have more "porky" taste. I marinate or brine for 1-4 days, rub with a spontaneous mixture of spices and sugars, slow-cook with wood chips on my modified gas grill at 240F for several hours, then finish it up under foil at 350F until internal temp reaches 200F. It's incredibly moist and falls apart. Now that's good eatin'.

[Elizzie]

Lavender in your brine? That must be a haunting little flavor...how much do you put in? Which cut did you use for this?

[Alice Letseat]

I think people seem to have moved on to beef, although we began with little piggies.

[poulet_roti]

I just threw a pinch of lavender into the brining solution. I frequently use an herbs de provence mixture when roasting meats. Herbs de Provence has a bit of lavender so I don't see anything wrong with putting a bit into the brine.

[Cheese Boy]

I second the use for Herbs de Provence. Lavender imparts a pleasant taste.
A little [Lavender] goes a long way, so remember not to use a heavy hand.

[poulet_roti]

I am in the process of preparing one right now for New Years Eve. I have a 4-bone roast which should generate about 5 good portions. I am brining it for about 4-5 hours in a solution of one cup kosher salt, one cup brown sugar and about a gallon of water. Also threw in some lavender, bay leaves and freshly ground pepper into the brine solution. Anyways, once it is completed, I'll remove the meat, rinse again, and dry with paper towels. I'll let it sit out at room temperature for about an hour, covered by wax paper. For cooking, I'll brown it on the stove top before popping it into the oven on 400 and cooking to completion. I'll be looking for an internal temperature of about 150 maximum which should take about an hour. I did this process a few weeks ago and the roast came out perfectly. Have your butcher crack the chine bone between the ribs to make it easier for you to cut after cooking.

[Carnitas]

I make pot roast at least twice a month and I always use chuck.

[rcallner]

Home cooking in a hurry - I take a nice loin, rub it with a combination in my mortar crushed with the pestle: garlic, fresh thyme and rosemary, loosened with olive oil. Butterfly the thing so it cooks evenly and quickly. Prepare root vegetables for roasting (like parsnips, carrots, beets, potato), toss in a little olive oil and good salt and pepper, place on the bottom of the roasting pan, lob that roast on top, cook at high temp for 20 - 30 minutes. Deglaze the pan with some broth and/or a cooking wine/sherry or whatever for a gravy while the meat's resting. Lean, healthy, delicious.

[GDSinPA]

Shoulder - bone in. More flavor and more forgiving as well.

[Alice Letseat]

Thanks! I'd kinda thought that, since the marbeling generally looked better, then got distracted by the nice shape of the sirloin roast.

[Will Owen]

Loins nowadays just about require brining, larding or both. I like to do that sometimes - it's nice for company - but for real eatin' food a bone-in shoulder is about the best thing a pig has to offer.

[Elizzie]

For a slow roast I'd go with a shoulder with the bone.

[Candy]

I'll second that suggestion