Most delicious & easy Pork Shoulder Roast with Garlic & Red Chilies and Butternut Squash!

A late February snow day
A snowy February day just calls for a most delicious and easy Pork shoulder roast!
You will need:

1.  One  4-5 pound pork shoulder ( ours was home grown by a neighbor), there are many local purveyors now that raise pork on a small scale, truly pastured and humanely. 
2.  Two to three tbsp. of  good quality oil ( preferably one with a high smoke point, like  Avocado oil ). I used olive oil, but that can cause some smoking during the first 25 minutes of roasting. 
3. Three to four dried, red chilies sliced into small pieces.
4. Five garlic cloves, pressed though a garlic press.
5.  Three tsp. ground  of black pepper & kosher salt.
6. Preheat the oven to 425 F degrees
7. Mix the oil, chilies, garlic, salt & pepper in a small bowl
8. Put the pork shoulder into a deep roasting pan and spread the oil mixture over the top and sides of the pork shoulder  with a spoon.
9. Roast in the preheated oven at 425 F degrees for 25 minutes, then drop the heat to 325 F degrees.
10. After a total roasting time of 1 hour add a cup of vegetable broth to the bottom of the roasting pan. Continue to cook the  roast 2 1/2  to 3 hours more until a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part reads at least 145 F degrees.
11. Let rest for 20 minutes and then carve and enjoy!

It will make your house smell incredible!
 I like to serve mashed butternut or similar winter squash like honey nut squash and an assortment of fresh vegetables on the side. A nice salad of mixed dark green & burgundy lettuces pairs very well with this too!

Butternut squash : Roast the seeded squash
at 350 F for one hour in about an inch of water in a roasting pan.
Let cool and scoop out this delectable side dish!

A beautiful finished shoulder roast with a delicious crispy skin!

I grew some Honey Nut squash last year which has the darker skin in this photo, it is similar to Butternut squash but slightly sweeter with pumpkin undertones. 

I like to buy winter squash in bulk in the fall and keep it in my cool garage all winter.
It  is a great way to have a nutritious vegetable handy without having to make a trip to the store!
If you have the  opportunity to buy in bulk from a local farmer, try it and I am sure you will like it and find it very convenient.
  

Sunrise squash from Chase Road Growers in Thompson, CT.
Another gorgeous option!

I froze these colorful beans in the summer, so I could add them to a winter meal.
If you don't freeze your own, store bought frozen veggies are a very good option especially in the winter when fresh produce is sometimes harder to find.

Enjoy!

I save the the scoops and end cuts of the squash for my flock of chickens, but if you don't have chickens this makes a great addition to your compost!

Using winter squash in your diet is a great way to add colorful, vitamin & mineral rich
items to your meal during the wintertime!