Directions

1. Liberally rub pork shoulder with salt and pepper. Cut 2 garlic cloves into 16 slivers. Make sixteen 1-inch incisions and insert a sliver in each. Cover and refrigerate for 6 to 12 hours.
2. In a Dutch oven or large ovenproof casserole, heat 2 tablespoons of oil over medium-high heat.Add pork and brown on all sides. Transfer pork to a platter. Pour out all but 2 tablespoon of fat and return Dutch oven to medium-high heat. Chop 2 more garlic cloves.Add carrot, celery, onion, and chopped garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 3 minutes. Stir in 1 tablespoon of anchovies and 1 1/2 teaspoons chili flakes and stir until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add tomatoes with their juices, thyme, and bay leaf to Dutch oven and bring to a boil, scraping up browned bits on the bottom with a wooden spoon. Return pork with any juices to the Dutch oven.Add enough hot water to almost cover the pork and return to a boil.
3. Tightly cover Dutch oven and bake in 375 degrees F. oven, turning pork occasionally, adding hot water as needed if liquid reduces, until pork is very tender, about 3 hours. Remove from oven and let pork cool in sauce until easy to handle, 1 to 2 hours. Discard the thyme branch and bay leaf.