Pork Cottage Roll Recipe

Have you ever made a pork cottage roll? It’s very similar to corned beef, except that it is made from a boneless pork shoulder roast soaked in brine.

While pork shoulders tend to be less expensive than other cuts, they are by no means short on flavor.

Generally, pork shoulder benefits from long, slow cooking, like our Dutch Oven Pulled Pork recipe.

And while we took that route for this cottage roll recipe, you’ll find this to be completely different, though great on flavor.

This flavor comes by soaking the pork in brine for 4 or 5 days before cooking.

In some parts of the country, you may be able to buy a pork cottage roll that is dutch oven-ready.

Not to worry if you can’t find it because this recipe shows you how to turn a pork shoulder into a cottage roll with a few simple ingredients and a bit of time.

Why you will love this recipe

• The pork and vegetables are cooked in one dish for easy cleanup.
• Perfect for meal prep! Add your meat to the brine and let it go until you’re ready to cook.
• It’s a relatively easy recipe that could be served for dinner any night of the week!
• Leftovers are just as good the next day – if you are lucky enough to have any! (see my favorite tips below for enjoying leftover cottage roll)!

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Helpful cooking tools

• 7 qt dutch oven
• Instant thermometer
• Sharp carving knife

Prepare the cottage roll brine

For the brine, you will need water, kosher salt, white sugar, peppercorns, and whole cloves. For exact measures, see the recipe card below.

Combine these ingredients in a large mixing bowl, and stir until sugar and salt are dissolved.

Next, place the shoulder roast in a gallon ziplock bag and add the brine. I like to use a zippered bag large enough to hold the pork shoulder roast and brining liquid; however, an airtight food container would work just as well.

Finally, place the bag in a bowl (in case it leaks) and transfer it to the fridge for 4-5 days. Be sure to flip it over once each day to make sure the brine enters every part of the meat.

And that is how you make a cottage roll!

How to cook the pork cottage roll

1. First, drain the liquid and remove any peppercorns or cloves from the roast.

2. Next, add the roast to a 7 qt dutch oven with the broth and bring to a boil on the stovetop

3. Once boiling, cover and reduce to a simmer for 2 hours.

4. After 2 hours, add in the veggies and continue simmering for an additional 45 minutes. When the veggies are soft and the meat fork-tender, your meal is ready for serving.

Variations

Broth substitution: Have you found yourself with a cottage roll ready to cook and no broth? Not to worry; I’ve been there too!

Just substitute 6 cups of water, one teaspoon of salt, and a pinch of garlic, onion powder, cumin, and coriander. It will be delicious, I promise!

Adding Cabbage: Cabbage goes excellent with this recipe. I mean, this is essentially the pork version of corned beef and cabbage, right?

Once the meat and vegetables are tender, remove them from the dutch oven and add a 1/2 a head of cabbage cut into large chunks and add it to the pot.

Bringing it to a boil, cook until the cabbage is soft. Serve immediately

Substitute the Meat: The beauty of this recipe is that you can turn other cheaper cuts of meat into tender morsels as well. It works great for pork roasts, beef roasts, and game meats.

Cooking tips

• If you don’t have time for the whole 5 days, consider just an overnight brine. Eight hours is enough to get that salty flavor though it may not be as tender.
• Use an instant thermometer to ensure the meat has cooked through. Pork must be cooked to at least 145°F.

Storing and reheating

Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 4 days.

Now I promised my favorite tips for leftovers, so here you are: leftovers can be tastier even than the original dish when you turn them into hash.

Add butter or oil to a cast iron skillet and place on medium to low heat.

When the butter is melted, or oil heated, add in your leftover meat and vegetables.

Stir regularly, mixing everything together. You want the hash to brown nicely but not burn. It’s ready to serve when everything is heated through, with a good sprinkling of brown bits throughout.

Key takeaways

Boiling brined or salted meat with vegetables makes an easy one-pot meal. You may see variations of this dish called boiled dinner or corned beef and cabbage.

“Corned” means salted, like REALLY salted to preserve the meat, which was common before refrigeration.

Many traditional cultures have versions of this dish, most notably the Irish. Places where Irish immigrants settled, like Boston and Newfoundland, are more likely to sell ready-made cottage rolls in grocery stores.

However, if you find yourself in an area where pork cottage rolls are not readily available, this easy, from-scratch cottage roll recipe is for you!

If you try this recipe, do let me know what you think in the comments below! I love to hear from you.

And be sure to check out one of these other dutch oven recipes next!

• Savory oxtail pho
• Pork bone soup
• Quick & easy green chili
• Classic venison stew
• American style goulash