Roast Pork with Gravy

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A golden, roast shoulder of pork complete with crunchy, salty crackling and a homemade gravy. Serve with roast potatoes and steamed green vegetables.

A roasted pork joint with crispy skin sits on a wooden board. In the background, there are roasted potatoes, green beans, and a gravy boat on a wooden table.

We have a great selection of roast dinners on our website. From Classic Roast Chicken to Roast Lamb with Onion Gravy and even a Bacon Covered Roast Turkey, a roast dinner is a wonderful and simple way to feed your family and friends.

This new recipe for Roast Pork with Gravy guides you through the best way to cook roast pork. I start off by coating the meat in a simple cumin and olive oil rub, then roasting it in a pan on a bed of onions with lots of water. This makes the most delicious gravy.

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Ingredient notes:
Step by step instructions:
Recipe FAQs:
Storage:
Top tips:
Related Recipes:
Roast Pork

Ingredient notes:

A raw pork shoulder on a plate with onions, a bowl of oil, cumin seasoning, and salt and pepper grinders on a wooden surface.

Pork: You can either use a pork shoulder or a leg of pork. I try and find a cut with the smallest bone in it.
Stock: If you have homemade stock, you can use this place of a stock cube and boiling water.
Onions: The onions in the bottom of the pan serve several purposes; they add extra flavour to the gravy, they help to keep the meat tender and juicy and they help to prevent the meat from sticking to the bottom of the tray.

Note: Scroll to the recipe card for the ingredients, quantities and the full method.

Step by step instructions:

Preheat the oven to 180°C fan bake. Pat the pork skin dry, then score lines across the skin without cutting into the flesh. Rub olive oil over the skin and sprinkle with 1 tsp of salt. Turn the pork over and rub the flesh side with cumin, the remaining salt and the pepper.

Raw pork belly with seasoning on a white plate, placed on a wooden surface.

A raw seasoned pork shoulder rests on a white plate atop a wooden surface.

Place the halved onions in a roasting tray to act as a base. Add 2 cups of cold water to the tray, then place the pork on top of the onions. Roast the pork for 1 ½ hours. After this time, add another 2 cups of water then return to the oven. Check the tray regularly to ensure the juices don't burn. If they start catching, add more water.

A raw piece of pork with a marked fat layer placed in a black roasting tray on a wooden surface.

Raw pork with scored skin placed in a black roasting pan on a wooden surface.

After 1 more hour (2 ½ total) increase the oven temperature to 240°C fan bake. Cook for another 20 minutes or until the crackling is golden and crispy. Remove the pork from the oven and place on a board, cover with tinfoil and let the pork rest for at least 20 minutes before slicing.

A large piece of pork with crispy skin is roasting in an oven. Drippings collect at the bottom of the pan.

Roasted pork with crispy, golden skin rests on a wooden cutting board.

Strain the juices and onions from the tray into a jug. Dissolve the chicken stock cup in the boiling water then add to a saucepan. Stir in 1 cup of the pork juices. Mix the cornflour with ¼ cup of cold water until smooth, then whisk it into the saucepan.

Bubbling dark liquid in a metal saucepan on a stovetop.

Roast pork with crispy crackling on a wooden board, accompanied by a blue jug of sauce and a bowl of dip in the background.

Bring the gravy to a boil, stirring continuously, until thickened. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Pour the gravy into a jug to serve with the pork. Slice the pork and serve with gravy, apple sauce, roast potatoes and steamed greens.

Recipe FAQs:

How do I prevent to pork juices from burning in the tray?

Prevent the juices in the tray from burning by adding water as needed. This ensures a rich and flavourful gravy.

My piece of pork is not 2.5kg, how long should i cook it for?

Adjust the cooking time using the rule of thumb: 30 minutes per 500g of pork.

Plate with sliced roast meat covered in gravy, accompanied by green beans, roast potatoes, and applesauce.

Storage:

Store any leftover pork in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Either enjoy cold or reheat in the oven or microwave.

Sliced pork can also be frozen. Simply place it in an airtight container and freeze for up to three months. Defrost completely before eating.

Top tips:

If you need the crackling to crisp up more then switch the oven to grill mode and position the pork close to the grill at the end of cooking. Watch it carefully to avoid burning.

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Roast Pork

Yield: Serves 6

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 3 hours

Total Time: 3 hours 20 minutes

A golden roast shoulder of pork complete with crunchy salty crackling and a homemade gravy. Serve with roast potatoes and steamed greens.

Ingredients

2.5kg skin on pork shoulder
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 tsp ground cumin
2 tsp salt
½ tsp pepper
2 onions, quartered
4 cups water

Gravy

1 chicken stock cube
1 cup boiling water
1 cup pork juices
2 Tbsp cornflour
¼ cup cold water

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 180°C fan bake.
Pat the pork skin dry, then score lines across the skin without cutting into the flesh. Rub olive oil over the skin and sprinkle with 1 tsp of salt.
Turn the pork over and rub the flesh side with cumin, the remaining salt and the pepper.
Place the halved onions in a roasting tray to act as a base. Add 2 cups of cold water to the tray, then place the pork on top of the onions.
Roast the pork for 1 ½ hours. After this time, add another 2 cups of water then return to the oven. Check the tray regularly to ensure the juices don’t burn. If they start catching, add more water.
After 1 more hour (2 ½ total) increase the oven temperature to 240°C fan bake. Cook for another 20 minutes or until the crackling is golden and crispy.
Remove the pork from the oven and place on a board, cover with tinfoil and let the pork rest for at least 20 minutes before slicing.
To make the gravy: Strain the juices and onions from the tray into a jug.
Dissolve the chicken stock cup in the boiling water then add to a saucepan. Stir in 1 cup of the pork juices.
Mix the cornflour with ¼ cup of cold water until smooth, then whisk it into the saucepan.
Bring the gravy to a boil, stirring continuously, until thickened. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Pour the gravy into a jug to serve with the pork.
Slice the pork and serve with gravy, apple sauce, roast potatoes and steamed greens.

Notes

Prevent the juices in the tray from burning by adding water as needed. This ensures a rich and flavourful gravy.
If you need the crackling to crisp up more then switch the oven to grill mode and position the pork close to the grill at the end of cooking. Watch it carefully to avoid burning.
Adjust the cooking time using the rule of thumb: 30 minutes per 500g of pork. This recipe can also be made with pork leg or rolled roast.

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 10 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 839Total Fat: 60gSaturated Fat: 21gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 33gCholesterol: 246mgSodium: 703mgCarbohydrates: 6gFiber: 0gSugar: 4gProtein: 65g

Nutritional values are approximate. Please use your own calculations if you require a special diet.

Thank you for checking out this recipe. I hope you enjoy making and eating it! If you have any questions, queries or feedback, please feel free to leave a comment below.
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Vanya

Comments

Ruth Niu says

March 15, 2025 at 8:15 pm

Legitimately brilliant pork!!! Crispy on the outside, soft & melt in your mouth on the inside…so good! Thank you @vjcooks

- VJ cooks says
  
  March 17, 2025 at 9:39 am
  
  Oh yay! So happy to hear it worked so well for you! I agree, this is my favourite way to cook pork.