Dan's Fallin' Apart Pork Pot Roast with Cracked Pepper Gravy

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

Smash together 1/4 cup garlic powder, 1/4 cup onion powder, red pepper flakes, and 1 tablespoon cracked black pepper in a mortar until a fine powder forms. Place spice mix into a large shallow bowl.

Inject pork roast all over with Creole marinade; blot moisture from the outside of roast. Rub spice mix all over pork roast to thoroughly coat.

Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat, then cook and stir shallots and elephant garlic in hot butter until garlic becomes lightly golden brown. Add coated pork roast and sear on all sides until spice coating is golden brown, 1 to 2 minutes per side. Place roast into a roasting pan or Dutch oven, fat-side up. Scrape up butter, cooked shallots, and garlic and sprinkle around roast.

Arrange sweet onions, red potatoes, carrots, and celery pieces around roast. Mix 1 cup water with remaining spice rub in the bowl, then pour evenly over roast.

Cover the roasting pan with a lid and cook in the preheated oven until meat is very tender, 3 hours and 45 minutes to 4 hours.

Remove roast and set aside on a serving platter; surround meat with cooked vegetables.

Whisk together remaining 2 cups water, brown gravy mix, 2 tablespoons garlic powder, 1 tablespoon cracked black pepper, and 1 tablespoon onion powder in a medium bowl until well combined; whisk into liquid left in the roasting pan. Place the pan over medium heat and cook, whisking constantly, until gravy comes to a boil and thickens, about 5 minutes. Serve alongside roast and vegetables.