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Pork Shoulder with Fig Sauce

Oct 18, 2024 by admin

Pork Shoulder with Fig Sauce by A Healthy Life For Me.

This oven-roasted pork shoulder recipe filled with garlicky figs is a juicy, show-stopping dish for gatherings. Served with herby red wine-fig sauce, every bite will be perfectly spiced and fruity.

Sliced pork shoulder recipe on a serving plate with green beans and potatoes on the side.

Why You’ll Love This Pork Shoulder Recipe

If you want to impress your guests with a new, fancy dish this fall, this sweet-and-savory pork shoulder recipe is perfect for that.

  • Perfect for special occasions. This pork shoulder might just steal the show if you serve it at an upcoming Thanksgiving dinner.
  • Naturally-sweetened. The sauce doesn’t need processed sugars because there are dried figs and fruity honey in the recipe.
  • Little oil. The oven does most of the work, which means you don’t need any oil other than for searing the pork.
  • Full of fall-flavors. Red wine, herby thyme, and figs are an easy but elevated flavor profile for a fall-themed meal.
Ingredients for making the roasted pork shoulder recipe with fig sauce.

Recipe Ingredients

Spicy anise and dry red wine combine to create a sauce full of licorice-like spiced goodness. Scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of the post for exact ingredient amounts.

  • Figs – Use dried, not fresh ones.
  • Honey – Raw honey and agave nectar are best. Avoid maple syrup because it’s too smokey.
  • Spices and herbs – You need anise seeds, fresh thyme, salt, and black pepper.
  • Red wine – I used a dry Pinot Noir, but Malbec and Cabernet Sauvignon work too.
  • Pork shoulder – This is also called “Boston butt”.
  • Garlic – Fresh garlic and garlic paste are best.
  • Butter – Reduce the salt in the rest of the recipe if you use salted butter.
  • Olive oil – You can also use vegetable, corn, or canola oil.
  • Lemon juice – Feel free to use orange juice or half the amount of lime juice.

Is Pork Shoulder Roast The Same As Pork Butt Roast?

No, pork shoulder and pork butt are not the same. However, they both come from the pig’s shoulder area. Pork shoulder goes from the lower shoulder to where the leg begins. It isn’t a very fatty or marbled meat. On the other hand, pork butt is right above pork shoulder, closer to its spine/back. It’s well marbled and has higher amounts of fat.

Sliced pork shoulder recipe with fig sauce and mini potatoes on the side.

How To Make Pork Shoulder With Fig Sauce

Don’t skip the searing or deglazing steps because they add depth and help concentrate the pork’s flavor. Scroll to the bottom of the post for the pork shoulder recipe card.

  • Simmer the figs. Add the figs, honey, anise, 1 tablespoon thyme, and 1 cup wine to a medium-sized pot. Cover it and bring it to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 10-12 minutes or until the figs are tender. Strain half of the mixture and fold in half of the garlic. Reserve the rest of the saucy mixture.
Spreading the garlic-fig mixture on the pork.
Tied-up pork shoulder with the filling inside.
  • Prep the pork. Place 4-5 strings of butcher’s (or baker’s) twine about 1 1/2″ away from each other in a lengthwise fashion. Use a knife to cut 3/4s of the way through the pork shoulder. Place the pork over the twine and open it up like a book.
  • Tie it. Spread the garlic-fig mixture on the pork. Grab the ends of each piece of twine and tie them so the pork closes up tightly. This will also prevent the fig mixture from spilling out in the oven.
  • Season it. Preheat the oven to 325F. Whisk 1 tablespoon thyme, salt, pepper, and 1 tablespoon oil in a bowl until smooth. Rub it on all sides of the pork.
  • Sear the pork. Add 2 tablespoons of butter and the remaining oil to a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the pork and sear it for 2-3 minutes per side or until browned on all sides. Remove the pork from the Dutch oven and set it aside.
Seared pork in the Dutch oven with red wine for deglazing.
Roasted pork in the Dutch oven with its cooking juices.
  • Deglaze the pan. Reduce the heat to medium and add the remaining butter and garlic. Cook for 1 minute, stirring continuously to prevent burning. Pour in the remaining wine and bring it to a gentle boil. Use a wooden spatula or spoon to scrape the bottom of the Dutch oven to remove any browned bits.

For Roasting and the Sauce

  • Bake it. Return the pork to the Dutch oven. Cover it and bake for 2 1/2 hours or until almost completely tender. Stir the reserved fig mixture into the pot, making sure it coats the pork. Continue baking (covered) for another 30 minutes or until falls-apart tender. Remove it from the heat, wrap the pork in foil, and let it cool.
  • Make the sauce. Skim the fat from the pot. Transfer the cooking juices to a pan. Boil over high heat for 5 minutes, or until it reduces to 2 cups. Stir in the remaining thyme. Season with lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Set it aside.
  • Serve. Carefully remove the twine from the pork. Cut the meat into 1/2-1″ thick slices. Garnish with thyme sprigs and serve the sauce on the side. Enjoy!
Slicing into the juicy, roasted pork shoulder on a cutting board.

Tips & Variations

You can take this pork shoulder recipe to the next level by adding chewy peaches to the sauce and blending it for a smooth gravy.

  • Ask the butcher. When you buy the pork, ask the butcher to remove any excess fat and/or skin for you. They can also cut the slit for the fig-garlic mixture.
  • Reduce clean-up. Use the Dutch oven lid as a resting plate for the pork once you’ve seared it. This way you don’t have to worry about dirtying another cutting board or dish.
  • Make a gravy. For a thicker sauce, process all of the cooking juices (including the figs) with an immersion blender until smooth.
  • Add smokiness. Cook 5-6 bacon strips in the Dutch oven until crispy before you simmer the figs, so it should be the first thing you do. Remove the bacon from the heat and set it aside, but keep the bacon grease. Add all of the ingredients needed for simmering the figs and continue with the recipe as usual. Chop up the bacon and sprinkle it over the pork right before serving.
  • More fruits. Adding 1/2 cup dried peaches or apricots to the simmered fig mixture will pack the sauce with subtle hints of tartness to balance out the flavors.
  • Stick to the center. Never bake on the bottom or top oven racks. The bottom one will burn your dish because the heat’s very direct, while the top one will leave you with under-cooked pork because it’s too cool. Always bake/roast in the center oven rack for best results.
Serving plate of roasted pork shoulder recipe with green beans and mini potatoes on the side.

What To Serve With Pork Shoulder

This juicy pork shoulder recipe will have all your guests impressed with your cooking skills. I love serving it with Crispy Mini Potatoes and Holiday Green Beans on the side. Other veggie sides include my Roasted Brussels Sprouts, Roasted Asparagus, and Instant Pot Artichoke. For a warm and comforting soup, try my Creamy Roasted Cauliflower Soup or Mushroom Soup.

Proper Storage

You can reduce clean-up if you store and reheat this pork shoulder recipe in the Dutch oven.

  • Fridge: Place it in an airtight container for up to 4 days. Discard immediately if it tastes sour or the sauce is bubbly.
  • To reheat it: Sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon water and microwave in 20-second increments until warm. For large portions, use the oven at 300F for 30-40 minutes.

More Pork Recipes To Try

  • Chipotle Pork Burrito Bowls
  • Grilled Pork Tenderloin
  • Grilled Pork Chops and Peaches
  • Orange Rosemary Pork Tenderloin
Landscape photo for pork shoulder recipe.
Print

Pork Shoulder with Fig Sauce

This sweet-and-savory pork shoulder recipe with honey, red wine-fig sauce, and lots of fruity figs is perfect for Thanksgiving dinners. 
Course Dinner, Main, Main Course
Cuisine American, Mediterranean
Keyword how to cook pork shoulder, pork shoulder recipe, pork with fig sauce
Prep Time 35 minutes
Cook Time 3 hours
Total Time 3 hours 35 minutes
Servings 6 servings
Author Amy Stafford

Ingredients

  • 10 oz dried Mission figs stems removed, halved lengthwise
  • 1 tablespoon honey
  • 1/2 teaspoon anise seeds
  • 2 tablespoons plus 1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
  • 3 1/4 cups Pinot Noir red wine divided
  • 3 1/2 pounds boned pork shoulder
  • 4 garlic cloves minced
  • 1 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 4 tablespoons butter
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • Juice from 1/2 lemon

Instructions

  • Put figs, honey, anise, 1 tbsp. thyme, and 1 cup wine in a medium saucepan. Cover and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat and simmer until figs are just tender when pierced, 10 to 12 minutes. Let cool and then chop
  • Add half of the garlic and half of the figs in a bowl and stir to combine. Keep remaining garlic and figs separate.
  • Using a sharp knife cut along the side of the shoulder bone, cut ¾ through the meat and open out the meat like and book.
  • Take 4-5 strings of bakers twine so that it is spaced about 1 ½” intervals lengthwise under shoulder so that you will be able to easily pull end of strings together and secure
  • Take half of the fig and garlic mix and spread in opening on shoulder
  • Set aside remaining garlic and figs and their liquid.
  • Secure bakers twine so that roast is secure and your fig mix will not fall out during cooking.
  • Preheat oven to 325°. In a small bowl, combine 1 tbsp. thyme, 1 1/2 tsp. salt, 1/2 tsp. pepper, and the oil. Rub all over roast.
  • In Dutch oven heat 2 tablespoons of butter and 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat. Add shoulder and sear until brown on all sides. Should take 8-10 minutes total. Once browned transfer shoulder to a cutting board.
  • Reduce heat to medium. Add remaining butter and garlic, stirring often until the garlic begins to turn light golden, about 1 minute.
  • Pour in remaining wine from bottle and bring to a boil, scraping up browned bits with a wooden spoon.
  • Add shoulder back into Dutch oven, cover and place in oven. Bake pork until almost tender when pierced, 2 1/2 hours.
  • Stir reserved fig mixture into Dutch oven with shoulder and bake, covered, until meat is tender, 30 minutes more. Pork should be falling apart. Transfer to cutting board and tent with foil while it cools.
  • Skim fat from pan juices. Place pan with juices on stove top and boil over high heat until reduced to 2 cups, about 5 minutes. Stir in 1/2 tsp. thyme. Season with lemon juice, more salt, and pepper if you like. Set it aside.
  • Remove twine from pork, then cut meat crosswise into thick slices. Garnish with thyme sprigs and serve with sauce.

Categories:

  • All Recipes
  • Fall
  • Main Dishes
  • Pork
  • Seasonal

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