Preheat your oven to 450 F.

Make sure it will fit into the baking dish or roasting pan you have chosen, or cut it into smaller pieces.

Now put a 3-pound pork shoulder on a flat baking sheet.

This will serve as the vehicle to work on the meat, as well as transfer it to and from when the sauce is being mixed up in the skillet or dutch oven you sear it in.

Let it sit at room temperature while you mix up the spice rub that contains some of my favorite spices!

In a small bowl mix together the salt, black pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, ground mustard, paprika and marjoram.

Set aside for a moment while you get the pork butt ready.

Get out your cast iron skillet, or dutch oven and preheat it over medium-high heat for 2-3 minutes.

This allows the surface to heat up enough that when the meat hits the bottom of the pan, it will immediately sear.

While it is heating up, pat down your picnic roast or boneless roast with paper towels to dry the surface.

This is the best way to get the sear on the meat surface, which gives you the best results, and the most tender meat!

Not searing the meat before roasting is one of the most common mistakes I see people make and they then end up with tough meat.

Now rub the spice mix all over the entire surface of the pork shoulder.

I work in phases, top side, flip, bottom side, flip, then take the excess and press onto the sides.

Now your skillet or dutch oven has preheated enough that it is ready to sear your seasoned meat.

Look to see where the fat cap, or excess fat is on the meat.

This is the side you want to put down first when searing.

It helps render some of the fat so when the other sides are searing it is already greased.

If it does not have a lot of fat visible, then make sure to swirl a little olive oil in the pan before searing.

Work clockwise, searing the fat side first, then flipping.

Sear each side of the 3 lb pork shoulder at least 3 minutes.

For the edges, I hold it upright with tongs as this is the easy way to get it completely seared.

The sides do make the difference in a juicy roast, or a dry roast.

You are making sure to seal in all of the juices with searing so do not leave out searing the sides.

Now move the pork shoulder to the baking pan, from before, so you can make the broth mixture.

Add the soy sauce, beef broth, worcestershire sauce, lemon juice, and dark red wine (if using), to the skillet and whisk.

You are wanting to whisk up the browned pieces off of the bottom of the skillet or dutch oven.

Bring it to a simmer and then remove from the heat.

If you are using a dutch oven, put your seared pork shoulder into the broth and baste by spooning it over the top of the meat.

If you are using a roasting pan, like I did, then place your pork shoulder into the pan and then pour the broth over it.

Put it in the preheated oven at 450 degrees for 30 minutes THEN reduce the higher temperature down to a 350 degrees F oven for the remaining 1 1/2 hours.

If your roast is larger, you will need to calculate the time needed based on the measurement of 45 minutes per pound.

The recommended cooking time I have given is only for a 3 Lb shoulder of pork.

It is important that the cook time matches the type of pork shoulder (bone-in or boneless), the size of your pork shoulder, and the method of cooking (roasting, braising, smoking).

When the time is up, the dry rub will have formed a crust on it like this.

If you are still unsure about your pork being cooked through, you can use a meat thermometer or digital thermometer to check the internal temperature of the pork.

When the internal temperature of the meat has reached 145 degrees Fahrenheit the pork shoulder is done cooking.

It is important to make sure the roast is at a safe internal temperature before eating.

If the temperature is less than the required 145 degrees, put it back in the oven at 10 minute intervals, checking after each by sticking the thermometer into the thickest part of the meat.

Now you will need to let the pork shoulder rest for at least 10 minutes covered.

I cover mine with aluminum foil and set my timer.

As a general rule of thumb, let your roast rest at least 10 minutes and up to 20 minutes so the juices will settle into the meat versus running out if you cut it right away.

After you have let the meat rest, shred up the pork with two forks.

Some refer to this as pulled pork, and it is delicious this way.

After shredding the pork, pour the cooking broth over the meat before serving.

This adds back in the spice flavors and all of the great cooking juices.

If you have any leftovers, store them in an airtight container or dish covered in plastic wrap up to 3-4 days.

If you will not eat all of it in that time, you can easily freeze it as is in a freezer bag.

To eat later, thaw in a bowl of warm water and then cook quickly in a skillet.

You can also return it to the dish you originally used and bake covered at 350F for 15-20 minutes.

This is the best temperature to warm the meat without drying it out.