O wow, they all sound so good. I can imagine the house smelling so good - our house is filled with bacon-crazed people.
I ended up braising my 7.8 lb hunk of meat with unfiltered apple cider and lots of carrots, onions, and potatoes. I used juniper berries, sage, thyme, peppercorns, bay leaves, cloves, and garlic too. The house smelled so delicious, but it took forever to braise in the oven. It turned out falling off the bone, and I served the meat and gravy over rice - and buttered noodles with the leftovers. It was warm and comforting, perfect cold weather food.
I am still nervous about drying the meat out, but I would try grilling or roasting next time. What a great and flavorful cut of meat to have on hand!