How to Prepare Pork Shoulder

October 24, 2018

Guide by Jenn de la Vega, @Randwiches

The pork shoulder in your Fall share is from Stryker Farm in Pennsylvania. This is the cut of meat that is the basis of pernil and carnitas. It's perfect for throwing in the slow cooker and coming home to a fall-apart taco dinner.

How to store pork shoulder:

• Meats should only be frozen twice ever, so once you receive your frozen packs, put them in the freezer immediately.
• If you plan to serve them, defrost in the fridge in a dish or sheet pan overnight.
• The vacuum seal on the bag should be tight, no air should be moving around inside before you open it. If there is, there may have a been a hole and your meat is contaminated.

How to cook pork shoulder: 

The secret to roasty porcine goodness is to blast it with high heat to form a crust and then lower the temperature to render that lovely pork fat. You can also throw it in a slow cooker on high heat with aromatics and a can of beer for 4 to 6 hours.

Here's how to roast pork shoulder:

1. Remove any twine or netting from the roast.
2. Marinate with any herb you choose and lemon juice for 4 hours or up to overnight. Try cilantro or oregano!
3. Discard the marinade and coat the roast generously with salt and pepper.
4. Preheat an oven to 450 degrees F.
5. Place the roast in a pan with a few cloves of garlic, a half cup of wine or beer and a chopped onion. Feel free to dump in a tablespoon of your favorite hot sauce, too.
6. Roast for 15 minutes to brown the top. 
7. Cover the pork with foil or the pot lid and reduce the temperature to 300 degrees F.
8. Cook for additional 2 to 3 hours until the pork falls apart and reaches an internal temperature of 160 degrees.
9. Remove from the oven and pull it apart with forks.
10. Rest the meat in the cooking juices until ready to serve.

How to serve pork shoulder:

• Tacos! Burritos! Enchiladas! Over rice! On toast! So many ways to enjoy shredded pork shoulder.
• Any leftovers can be fried up in vegetable oil to make carnitas.

How do you like your pork shoulder? Let Jenn de la Vega know on Twitter: @Randwiches
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