Everything tastes better with bacon, or so the saying goes. If that’s the case, then surely merging pork, bacon and sausage into one lovely package would be heavenly. Let’s find out …

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I cooked this on our minimax Big Green Egg (BGE). It can also be cooked in an oven. Results are better from the BGE, the meat is generally moister.

Equipment

• Kitchen string
• Kitchen string dispenser (optional)
• Sharp knife
• Chopping board
• Kitchen foil
• Kitchen thermometer or equivalent (optional)

Ingredients

• 2.5 – 3lb pork shoulder
• 2 large mushrooms
• 8-10 slices thick smoked back bacon
• 6-8 dried apricots
• 2-3 fresh sage leaves
• 2 pork sausages
• Salt
• Apple wood chunks (optional)

Method

If using a BGE, set up for indirect cooking and heat to 190°C/375°F and toss on a couple of apple wood smoking chunks when the coals are glowing. For a conventional oven, pre-heat to 200°C/390°F (fan 180°C/355°F).

1. Slice the mushrooms and remove the pork sausage meat from the sausage skin, breaking it into small chunks.
2. Butterfly the pork shoulder and lay it flat. The pork shoulder may come apart when butterflied. Layer and press down the pork sausage pieces to bind the shoulder together. Add mushroom pieces, sage and dried apricots. Sprinkle with a little salt.
3. Carefully roll up the pork shoulder tightly so it forms a log. Then wrap the log in slices of back bacon across the top and at the ends of the log.
4. Tie up the log with kitchen string (see picture below). A kitchen string dispenser makes this stage much simpler.
5. Cook with the bacon facing up for 70-80 minutes, or until the juices run clear.
   • If using a Kitchen Thermometer (or similar), cook until internal temperature in a few points is 63°C/145°F.
   • If using a BGE, when the roast is at temperature, remove the platesetter and cook direct for a couple of minutes each site to crisp up the bacon.
6. Double wrap in kitchen foil and rest for 5 minutes. Then carve and serve with roasted courgettes and boiled new potatoes.

Hints, Tips and Pictures

1. Roll the pork slowly and carefully into a log shape. Press firmly so that any loose pieces of pork shoulder stay bound together by the sausage meat.
   
   
2. Cut length of string with a kitchen dispenser and slide them underneath the rolled pork log.
   
3. When searing in an Egg, you can use the two skewers to flip it at the end.