This has been a favorite in our farm kitchen for the last few years, but we've never thought (until now) that other people might also enjoy it. So we're finally offering it to the public.
This is a beautiful centerpiece for a large family gathering, and it's very easy to cook.
It will take at least 3 days in the fridge to thaw, or overnight on the counter in a large pot of cold water. Take out of fridge or water at least an hour before you're going to start cooking, so that it can start to warm up a little.
Preheat the oven to 400 F.
If you like pork cracklin', you're in luck. These roasts come with the skin on. Score the skin in a grid pattern about every half inch. Personally, we like some cracklin, but not the entire thing, so we score the skin for half of it, and remove the skin from the other half, leaving a moderate amount of fat, but not too much (I like about 1/2 inch of fat).
Coat all sides liberally with whatever spice mix you would like. Salt, pepper, and garlic is the simplest. Sometimes I add paprika and ground mustard for a barbeque flavor. Sometimes I'll add oregano, rosemary, and thyme for more of an herbal savory flavor.
Put the roast in a large roasting pan, uncovered, and into the hot oven for 20 minutes, then turn the temperature down to 325 F for the rest of the bake time. You want the internal pork temperature to get to 145 F. This will take roughly 20-30 minutes per pound, so probably 3-5 hours, depending on the size of the roast, and if anything else is in the oven with it.
Most importantly, once it reaches 145, take it out and let it sit for at least 15 minutes before you cut into it. This allows the juices to lock into the meat as it begins to cool. If you carve it right away, the juices will come pouring out.
I slice it across the grain (perpendicular to the long dimension of the roast), so everyone basically ends up with a thin pork chop. There are bones along 2 sides, so you have to carve it off of those bones.
You can serve with barbeque sauce, honey mustard sauce, make a gravy from the drippings, or just as is.
Prepare to have your mind blown.