Roasted Pork Shoulder (brined + orange flavored)

Brine The Pork (the night before):

1. Trim most of the fat from the surface of the pork leaving only a little.
2. Add pork to a large bowl (glass or plastic) that fits it. It shouldn't be much wider than the meat because we want it to sink in the brine.
3. Add all of the seasonings as well except the salt.
4. Dissolve the salt in 1 liter of lukewarm water and add to the bowl. Pour the wine in as well.
5. Refrigerate overnight or you can leave in the brine for up to 2 days.

Cook The Pork:

1. Remove the pork from the brine. Pat it dry with paper towels.
2. Preheat oven to 160°C / 320°F.
3. Place the pork in a roasting pan if it has a rack place it on the rack. If using a plain pan that's okay too.
4. Combine all of the ingredients for the rub in a small bowl. Then rub it all over the top surface and sides of the meat.
5. Add the sprigs of thyme, sage, and orange cups to the pan.
6. Pour the red wine and orange juice into the pan.
7. Cover by putting the lid on (if using a roasting pan with a lid), or cover with a big piece of parchment paper and then secure it with a piece or two of aluminum foil on top. Make sure it's closed well on the sides.
8. Bake for 2 hours.
9. Prepare The Potatoes: meanwhile, if you wish to add potatoes as well, boil them in some salted water for 10 minutes. Then remove them with a slotted spoon and set them aside in a bowl.
10. Remove the pan from the oven without uncovering it.
11. Raise the oven's temperature to 220°C / 428°F. Wait for 10 minutes.
12. Uncover the pork. Carefully drain most of the liquid from the pan into a bowl. Leaving only a very thin layer just enough to cover the surface of the pan. NOTE: Do not discard the parchment paper and aluminum foil cover.
13. Add the potatoes all around the pork. If using a roasting pan with a rack place the potatoes underneath the rack.
14. Skim off some fat that has risen on the surface of the pork liquid you just drained.
15. Drizzle the fat over the potatoes. About 6-7 tablespoons of it.
16. Season the potatoes very lightly with table salt, pepper, and 1 teaspoon of dried marjoram.
17. Add back in the oven and roast for 10 minutes.
18. Meanwhile, in a small bowl mix together the 2 tablespoons of Balsamic vinegar, 1 tablespoon of honey, and 55 ml of fresh orange juice.
19. Remove the pan from the oven.
20. Drizzle ½ of the mixture all over the pork.
21. Place the pan back in the oven.
22. Roast for 6 minutes more.
23. Remove the pan from the oven once more and drizzle the meat with the remaining ½ of the mixture.
24. Roast for 6 minutes more. Then remove the pan from the oven.
25. Carefully transfer the pork shoulder to a serving plate using two large spatulas. Or use the parchment paper and aluminum foil cover to gently grab hold of it and transfer it. And then use it to cover the meat again. Note: If you didn't add the potatoes there's no need to transfer the meat. Simply cover the meat inside the pan.
26. Rest the meat for 30 minutes.
27. Drop the oven's temperature to 200°C / 392°F.
28. Place the pan with the potatoes back in the oven and roast the potatoes until nice and crispy on the edges. If you wish, toss and squeeze them with a spatula to make them even crisper.
29. Cut thin slices of the pork and serve along with the potatoes and enjoy!
30. This red wine sauce goes great with this dish making it even more festive!