Dinner Plans: Roast Pork

Prep 3 Delicious Meals From 1 Easy Roast Pork Recipe

By
Spruce Eats Staff
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Spruce Eats Staff
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Updated on 07/29/21
Pork Shoulder Roast With Dry Spice Rub

 The Spruce / Nita West

Pork shoulder is an inexpensive, easy-to-cook cut of meat that offers incredible returns on a minimal investment of time spent in the kitchen. This one benefits from a super flavorful brown-sugar-and-spice dry rub. After virtually no work, serve it straight from the oven the first night, then set some aside for tasty Cuban sandwiches and stick-to-your-ribs pork hash during the week.

Game Plan

Prep Time: 3 hours 15 minutes

  1. Coat the pork with the spice rub up to 2 days ahead of cooking for the very best flavor. Place the spice-rubbed pork in a large zip-top plastic bag, and refrigerate until ready to roast. 
  2. Serve one-third of the pork warm from the oven with potatoes and Swiss chard for prep day dinner.
  3. Pack away the rest for Cuban sandwiches and pork hash.
  4. Double the roast potatoes recipe and put away half for the hash.
  5. Organize, wash and prep the ingredients for the other two dinners to save time and minimize cleanup later.

Prep Day Slow-Roasted Pork with Greens

Tender, slow-roasted pork with roast potatoes and Swiss chard makes a cozy Sunday supper or dinner, with plenty of pork reserve for the week ahead. Double the potato recipe and boil them while the roast is in the oven, then slide them in the oven while the pork rests. The Swiss chard takes just a few minutes on the stovetop.

Pork Shoulder Roast With Dry Spice Rub
The Spruce / Nita West 

Getting Dinner on the Table

  • Serve about half of the pork shoulder. Pack the rest away for two more meals during the week.
  • Double the potatoes and serve half for pork hash night.

Cuban Sandwich Night

Time: 30 minutes

Slice some of the leftover pork and make four toasted Cuban sandwiches for a delicious weeknight meal. Fried plantains are a traditional side dish, but store-bought plantain chips make an easy weeknight substitution.

Traditional Cuban Panini
The Spruce

Getting Dinner on the Table

  • Use 1 pound of the roast pork.
  • Slice the pork as neatly as you can. It’s so tender that it may fall apart, but just make sure to divide it evenly among the sandwiches.
  • Cook the sandwiches on a panini press or stovetop grill pan (for the latter, weigh them down with a heavy cast-iron skillet as they cook).

Pork Hash Night

Time: 35 minutes

Stretch the leftover cooked pork shoulder and use the leftover potatoes to make the comfort food classic pork hash. To serve the hash diner-style, top each plate with a fried egg.

Leftover Pork and Potato Hash
The Spruce

Getting Dinner on the Table

  • Use 3/4 pound of leftover pork, cut into cubes or torn into small pieces if it’s too tender to cut. 
  • Use half of the roast potatoes from the prep-day dinner, cut into bite-size pieces.
  • Cook the peas (or peas and carrots) while you are sautéing the onion and making the cream sauce to save time.
  • Substitute another cream soup, like cream of celery, in place of the mushroom, if desired.

Essential Info

Here's some helpful information about roast pork:

About Dinner Plans

Making quick weeknight dinners is easier when you start with a few building blocks. Dinner Plans is a realistic roadmap to help you achieve that goal, by putting in a few hours of work (planning, shopping, and prepping) at the outset. Preparing a big batch of one ingredient (protein, vegetables, or grains) gives you the flexibility to plan a variety of meals. And who knows? You just might discover your new favorite weeknight recipe in the process!

Show everyone how together you are: Instagram your meal prep photos and tag them #thespruceeats.