Today's Melinda Lee radio show had a discussion about Porchetta (pork roast). The flavors and texture intrigued me. Can anyone provide feedback-- is it tender and juicy, but not fatty? The family is only interested if it's mild, not fatty, but tender. (FYI they're not fans of prime rib) Melinda has two on her website, but a 6-7lb roast is large for our small family and I'd hate to waste the time and money on a meal that won't be broadly accepted by the group.

She specifically mentioned Paula Wolfert's recipe:

PAULA WOLFERT’S VERY SLOW-ROASTED

PORK SHOULDER ROAST

If you enjoy slow-cooking, you’ll love this dish �" a pork shoulder with big, bold, crunchy skin and an interior so meltingly tender in texture and so vibrant in taste that eating it will be a revelation. Slow, low-temperature cooking is the key

Paula Wolfert developed this recipe following some of the precepts, believe it or not, of the late Adelle Davis, a food authority of the sixties �" specifically, “setting the oven temperature at the temperature you want the meat when it is done.” Although much of her “nutritional” advice has since been discredited, her slow-roasting methods are still sound and worthwhile provided you follow some important safety measures: Choose whole pieces of meat. Don’t use a skewer or other utensil to pierce the flesh except a clean, dry, digital probe thermometer. Don’t stuff the meat. And use high-temperature roasting at the beginning of the cooking to remove any surface bacteria.

After this first high-temperature blast, you can reduce the oven heat and leave the pork to roast leisurely. It won’t burn, and you won’t have to watch it much. You can even raise or lower the oven temperature to suit your schedule. Use your digital probe thermometer to monitor the internal temperature.

This is a very forgiving recipe. Once the preferred internal temperature is achieved, the meat will stay at that temperature for a while, remaining moist and tender until ready to serve.

For extra moisture, the pork may be soaked in a salt and sugar brine a day or even a few days in advance (there are several brine recipes in our Recipe Archives on this web site). Be sure to begin the preparations in this recipe a day before you plan to serve the pork - it is, after all, a “slow food” recipe.

Serves 6 to 8

one 6- to 7-pound bone-in fresh pork picnic shoulder roast or

Boston butt, with skin on

1 head of garlic

1 tablespoon, coarse sea salt

1/2 teaspoon, freshly ground pepper

1 1/2 teaspoons, dried oregano or marjoram

1 teaspoon, dried thyme

1 large onion �" thinly sliced

1 carrot �" sliced

1/2 cup, oloroso sherry (a smooth, less dry sherry)

4 cups, chicken stock or broth

crushed hot red pepper

1 1/2 teaspoons, top-quality sherry vinegar or balsamic vinegar

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Score the skin of the pork in a crisscross diamond pattern like a ham, making deep cuts about 1 inch apart. Crush the garlic with the salt, pepper, oregano, and thyme. Rub the garlic mixture over all the meaty parts of the roast as well as the skin.

Set the pork shoulder skin side up on a rack in an oiled shallow roasting pan. Roast for 45 minutes, or until a deep golden brown.

Scatter the onion and carrot slices around the pork. Pour half the sherry and half the stock into the pan. Add a good pinch of hot pepper. Reduce the oven temperature to 180 degrees and continue roasting, basting once or twice, until a probe thermometer inserted in the center of the meat reads 170 degrees to 175 degrees - about 12 hours. (It will not hurt the meat to keep it in the oven longer, up to a total of 24 hours.) Avoid opening the oven door any more than necessary. (If the meat is cooked before this time, simply reduce the oven temperature to 160 degrees and continue to roast the pork slowly while preparing any side dishes you may choose.)

About 30 minutes before serving, remove the meat from the oven and transfer to a carving board. Cover loosely and set aside in a warm place. Pour the remaining sherry and stock into the pan. Bring to a boil, scraping up the browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Boil until the liquid is reduced to about 1 cup. Strain the pan juices into a bowl, pressing on the vegetables. Skim off as much fat as possible. Stir in the vinegar and correct the seasoning.

Lift the skin of the pork and cut it into thick strips; place on a serving platter. Slice the meat across the grain and arrange on the platter. Pour the pan juices over the meat.

COOK’S NOTES: Most other cuts of pork need less time to cook until tender than the shoulder roast or Boston butt. When choosing any cut of pork, ask your butcher to leave the fat on.

SAFETY NOTES: If you’re worried about cooking pork at such a low temperature, ask your butcher to get you “certified” pork, which has undergone a special freezing treatment. You can do this yourself by freezing a shoulder of pork for 3 weeks before defrosting and roasting.

According to the National Restaurant Association, slow-cooking at low temperatures (below 325 degrees) is safe for fish and meats that have been seared first to kill surface bacteria, as in this recipe. It is also advisable not to stuff or insert anything in the meat. For more information on safety in low temperature cooking, check with the USDA. Their Meat and Poultry Hotline is 1-800-535-4555.

Paula Wolfert’s recipe adapted from: The Slow Mediterranean Kitchen, by Paula Wolfert (Wiley)