Papa Puskala's Potroast

Ingredients:

Pork Shoulder (we used approx 9lb)
1/2 cup Sugar
1/2 cup Salt (kosher if you have it)
Mix of Herbs (we used salt, pepper, rosemary, paprika, and garlic, but any mix will work: oregano, marjoram, Herbs du Provence, etc)
Vegetables (we used carrots, celery, potatoes, squash, zucchini)

Directions
Dissolve sugar and salt in 4 qt of water (It will super saturate). Papa Puskala used a cooler and very cold water (Just use enough to cover the pork). Tip: Use a smallish cooler to avoid having to use gallons of water. Brine it for 4 hours max.

If available, smoke it for 4 hours on a grill using very low heat.

Preheat oven to a low setting (200-F or so).

Rub the pork shoulder with garlic and herbs (we used paprika, garlic, salt, and pepper for the rub, then tossed in a couple sprigs of fresh rosemary and thyme). Put the roast in a roasting pan and insert the meat thermometer into the thickest part of the meat (be careful not to get too close to the bone). Cover the roast with aluminum foil. Set the timer to beep around 120-F.

When the beeper goes off, remove the roast from the oven and add in vegetables (cut into large hearty chunks/ leave potatoes whole if they're smaller). If the roast looks a little dry, feel free to add in beef stock or water. Cover the roast and vegetables again and put it in the oven. Set the timer to beep at 160-F.

When the beeper goes off, check vegetables for doneness. If the vegetables are not done, take out the pork and finish off the veggies. Otherwise, let the pork rest at least 20 minutes before cutting.

As a frame of reference, our pork took almost 8 hours to cook; "Low and Slow" is the best way to cook this type of meat to get it tender.