The cooler weather of fall is the perfect time to bring out a few roasting pans from your cupboard and enjoy the savory goodness of a pork roast with 2 delicious side vegetables.
Cattleman’s always has an excellent selection of fresh Pork Butts (Pork Shoulders) that are the perfect roast choice, and can easily feed 6 persons…
And while you’re roasting that Pork Butt, why not serve it with two of fall’s most the most beloved vegetables, Spaghetti Squash and roasted Red Skin Potatoes
The combination of these 3 together, is simply delicious!
We’ll give you here, the essential cooking and timing tips for you to prepare all 3 of these dishes, simultaneously, in your oven.
First, you’ll need 3 medium size roasting pans. I each for the pork roast, spaghetti squash, and the potatoes. It is essential that all 3 pans have a 1-inch lip (or so).
Test to be sure all 3 can fit into your oven together.
We’ll begin with the pork roast.
You can choose either a bone-in, or boneless Pork Butt.
The good news is that Cattleman’s always has boneless Pork Butts, which are already netted (tied) for your roasting convenience, so we recommend that one, since, as a sliced roast, you’ll not have to bother carving around a bone at the dinner table,
After purchasing your Pork Butt which typically weighs about 4 to 5 pounds, generous rub the exterior with a roast seasoning of your choice. There are SO many at Cattleman’s for you to choose from), but even kosher salt and ground black pepper will do nicely.
Before placing your seasoned roast on a roasting pan, we recommend spritzed your roast with a bit of oil, then searing it in a hot skillet. on all sides, until it has a nice medium brown color on the outside.
Place the seared roast onto your roasting pan to rest a moment while you pre-heating your oven to 375 F.
We’ll pop that roast into the oven soon.
In the meantime, remove any stem from your spaghetti squash, then cut your spaghetti squash in half lengthwise, from the stem to the blossom end, and scoop out all the seeds and stringy pith until you reach the rather solid pulp.
Paint the interior with melted butter, then season it with salt and pepper.
Place these 2 halves of spaghetti squash, cut side down, then add a bit of water (maybe a cup) to the pan to assist in creating some steam as the squash bakes. NOTE: You’ll need a roasting pan (or large skillet) with a lip, so that the water is retained as it roasts.
Your last prep step is the easiest one… the potatoes.
If your red skin potatoes are about 2” in diameter, you may want to cut them in half, or in quarters. If they are about 1” in diameter, you can roast them whole.
Toss your potatoes in a bit of oil, then seasoned with salt, pepper and any complimentary seasonings that you prefer….garlic, thyme, rosemary and marjoram are common favorites.
Place your seasoned potatoes in a third roasting pan and you’re ready to roast them when the time comes.
Ok, our prep work is done and we’re ready to get the roasting started.
Start by placing your pork roast in the oven first, and here’s how the rest of your timing is going to work…
The pork roast will take approximately 1:45 hours to cook depending on what level of doneness you prefer for a sliced pork dinner, and, of course, its size.
The one I am showing in this demonstration was 4 ½ pounds, and it was roasted to 160 F, and took exactly 1:45 minutes to roast.
Of course, a larger roast, cooked to a greater degree of doneness, will take just a bit longer.
Using a meat thermometer as your guide, the internal doneness a pork roast done to medium is approximately 150 degrees, medium well 160 degrees, and well done 175 / 185 F.
I cooked mine to medium well.
That will be a good guide for you.
After your pork roast has been in the oven for 1hour, now is the time to pop both the spaghetti squash and the red skin potatoes in the oven as well. Both will take approximately 45 minutes to cook, meaning all 3 should be fully cooked and ready to remove from the oven all at the same time.
After 45 more minutes has elapsed, (1 hour and 45 minutes since you initially placed your pork roast into the oven), your roast should temp to about 160 F, and you can remove it from the oven and allow it to rest for 15 minutes.
After removing the roast, the potatoes should be lightly browned and tender. You can remove them from the oven as well.
Next, press down on the outer shell of the spaghetti squash because when it is done, it will depress softly, giving way a bit and at 45 minutes cooking time, it should also be done and you can remove it from oven too.
Turn your halves of spaghetti squash cut side up to expose the pulp and allow it to cool enough (about 10 minutes) so that you can hold each half in your hand, and gently rake out the strings of squash (which look like spaghetti strands), by using a fork.
If cooked correctly, the strands should still have some firm texture and should not be mushy.
Place your finished squash in a serving bowl, and season with salt, pepper and a drizzle of melted butter.
Now that all 3 of your roasted items have been removed from the oven, remove the netting from the roast using a small knife or scissors to cut the strings then transfer it onto a serving dish and allow it to rest while its juices reabsorb into the meat, which will give you juicier and more moist slices.
Once it has rested, slice your roast. A half inch thickness is typical.
From start to finish, you’ve now roasted 3 different dishes in 1 oven, in 2 hours, timing each dish along the way to ensure all are ready to enjoy together.
NOTES & TIPS:
For your pork, we recommend using a roasting pan with a rack or raised screen to allow maximum air circulation and promote a more even doneness.
Consider adding a cup or two of chicken or beef broth (stock) to your roast pork drippings, then whisking them together over medium heat while drizzling in a slurry of cornstarch and water give you a tasty gravy to serve with your pork.
