Active Time

　　45 min

　　Total Time

　　7 hr

　　"At the restaurant Mimosa, the food, service, and ambiance transform a night in Los Angeles into an evening in Paris," says Michele Winkler of Sherman Oaks, California. "There, we had a delectable roast pork that was succulent on the inside, with a marvelous crust. We would love to prepare it at home."

　　You can order the inexpensive "Boston" roast called for in this recipe from your butcher. In late-18th-century New England, some pork cuts were packed into casks or barrels, known as "butts," for storage and shipment. The way the pork shoulder was cut in the Boston area became known in some regions as "Boston butt," a moniker still used today almost everywhere in the United States, except Boston.

　　

Ingredients

Makes 6 servings

　　2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh sage

　　2 tablespoons fresh rosemary

　　10 garlic cloves

　　1 tablespoon fennel seeds

　　1 1/2 tablespoons coarse salt

　　1 tablespoon cracked black pepper

　　1 tablespoon dry white wine

　　1 tablespoon olive oil

　　1 (6-pound) boneless pork shoulder Boston roast (not tied)

　　

Special Equipment

kitchen string

　　

Step 1

Preheat oven to 275°F.

　　

Step 2

Blend together sage, rosemary, garlic, fennel seeds, salt, and pepper in a food processor until a thick paste forms. With motor running, add wine and oil and blend until combined well.

　　

Step 3

If necessary, trim fat from top of pork, to leave a 1/8-inch-thick layer of fat. Make 3 small incisions, each about 1 inch long and 1 inch deep, in each side of pork with a small sharp knife, and fill each with about 1 teaspoon herb paste. Spread remaining herb paste over pork, concentrating on boned side, and tie roast with kitchen string at 2-inch intervals.

　　

Step 4

Put pork, fat side up, in a roasting pan and roast in middle of oven 6 hours. Transfer roast to cutting board and let stand 15 minutes.

　　

Step 5

Discard string and cut pork roast (with an electric knife if you have one) into thick slices.

　　Cooks' note:

　　• You can make herb paste 1 day ahead and chill, covered.