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Pork Shoulder


snowangel

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Pork shoulder is perfect for Pork Chile Verde

I can't find my own recipe at the moment but this is almost exactly how I do it.

The only difference is that I don't make it low fat. I use the pork as-is !!

I did wild boar in chile verde sauce for the eG potluck last October and everyone thought it was terrific.

The melding of flavors is excellent, nothing else quite like it.

Edited by andiesenji (log)

"There are, it has been said, two types of people in the world. There are those who say: this glass is half full. And then there are those who say: this glass is half empty. The world belongs, however, to those who can look at the glass and say: What's up with this glass? Excuse me? Excuse me? This is my glass? I don't think so. My glass was full! And it was a bigger glass!" Terry Pratchett

 

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Or a method that I learned from Shirley Corriher a couple of years ago, when she spoke at a meeting of the American Chemical Society in NYC:

Rub the pork shoulder with worcestershire sauce. Coat with brown sugar. Put in a slow cooker, and drizzle a juice box of apple juice down the side (don't get the meat wet). Cover and cook on low for a long time (at least all day or all night).

(At least, I've always done it in my slow cooker. She mentioned that you could do it in the oven also, but my oven's pretty miserable.)

I usually add a bay leaf when I make this. I also usually make it at least the day before, for easy defatting.

MelissaH

MelissaH

Oswego, NY

Chemist, writer, hired gun

Say this five times fast: "A big blue bucket of blue blueberries."

foodblog1 | kitchen reno | foodblog2

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I second the nomination of the Zuni mock-porchetta. Easily one of the best pork recipes ever. It's even better if you let it sit with the paste in the cracks of the meat for a couple of days.

Or you could just make a huge mess of carnitas :wub:

Anita Crotty travel writer & mexican-food addictwww.marriedwithdinner.com

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Tonight after work i picked up a 4 pound pork shoulder. Usually when i buy one of these i either make pulled pork sandwiches or i shred the meat to make tacos.

This time i want to do something different!  Does anybody have any ideas on what else i can do with this?

Proabably done already; but, I made this recipe from the SF Chronicle last year, and it was really good. Leftovers made fantastic sandwiches, as well.

I always make stews in my trusty cast iron dutch oven, starting them on top of the stove and then moving them to a 300 degree oven to simmer.

Pomegranate & Spice Braised Pork

http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file...1.DTL&type=food

The Pork Stew With Kabocha Squash & Spinach on this page was also really good, though I believe I had to massage the second recipe a bit more than the first.

http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file...1.DTL&type=food

added link to second recipe

Edited by eje (log)

---

Erik Ellestad

If the ocean was whiskey and I was a duck...

Bernal Heights, SF, CA

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I make this Veal Ragout recipe with pork. I often use loin when I have bought a whole one on sale and cube up part of it. But it really is better with shoulder. It has become a family favorite.

Linda LaRose aka "fifi"

"Having spent most of my life searching for truth in the excitement of science, I am now in search of the perfectly seared foie gras without any sweet glop." Linda LaRose

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Love the pork shoulder.

Lustily score the meat.  Slow roast generously seasoned with quatre epices and salt.  Rubbed first with some olive oil and cooked on top of mirepoix vegetables, thyme and garlic.  Also slide some garlic slivers into the meat.  Bring heat up at the end of cooking for crispy skin and baste frequently over the last couple of hours with pan drippings that should include some added stock and white wine.

Last weekend I confitted a small piece of shoulder (1.5lbs) in pork fat.  I used the classic seasonings for choucroute since a choucroute was the ultimate destination of the pork.  275 in a covered pot in the oven for six or seven hours.

You can use the leftovers from either preparation in a cubano.

I've been looking for some guidance about making prok shoulder confit. Could you tell me more about how you prepare it? Thanks

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I'm not that experienced at confitting but I'll try to tell you what I did

I bought some salted pork fat at a market called Seabra's in New Jersey. So I got that melting in a smallish oval staub cast iron pot. In the meantime I ground up together some peppercorns,coriander seeds, a clove and some juniper berries. Mixed those seasonings with kosher salt and heavily rubbed the shoulder with the mixture. I assumed that the fat would wash off some of the seasonings so really you're seasoning the total volume of the shoulder and the fat. I plopped the shoulder into the fat and assured that it was covered and put it in the oven (lidded) at between two fifty and two eighty for about six hours. That's it. I carefully scopped it out at the end with a slotted spoon as the meat was wanting to fall apart and let it cool a bit. Then served. I guess you'd have to say that this is confitting as a method of slow-cooking rather than as preservation. Just looked at my original post. Not sure I said anything new.

You shouldn't eat grouse and woodcock, venison, a quail and dove pate, abalone and oysters, caviar, calf sweetbreads, kidneys, liver, and ducks all during the same week with several cases of wine. That's a health tip.

Jim Harrison from "Off to the Side"

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I'm not that experienced at confitting but I'll try to tell you what I did

I bought some salted pork fat at a market called Seabra's in New Jersey.  So I got that melting in a smallish oval staub cast iron pot.  In the meantime I ground up together some peppercorns,coriander seeds, a clove and some juniper berries.  Mixed those seasonings with kosher salt and heavily rubbed the shoulder with the mixture.  I assumed that the fat would wash off some of the seasonings so really you're seasoning the total volume of the shoulder and the fat.  I plopped the shoulder into the fat and assured that it was covered and put it in the oven (lidded) at between two fifty and two eighty for about six hours.  That's it.  I carefully scopped it out at the end with a slotted spoon as the meat was wanting to fall apart and let it cool a bit.  Then served.  I guess you'd have to say that this is confitting as a method of slow-cooking rather than as preservation.  Just looked at my original post.  Not sure I said anything new.

Thanks Ned

I'll give it a try. Appreciate the help.

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I like to rub a fennel spice mix on pork butt and slow roast @ 275F for 8 to 12 hours.

This is the rub I use which is also good on pork chops or chicken breast.

FENNEL SPICE- makes 1 1/4 cups

1 cup fennel seed

3 tablespoons coriander seed

2 tablespoons white pepper corns

3 tablespoons kosher salt

Put the fennel seeds, coriander seeds, and peppercorns in a heavy pan over medium heat. Watch carefully, tossing frequently so the seeds toast evenly. When light brown and fragrant, pour the seeds onto a plate to cool. They must be cool before grinding, or they will gum up the blades.

Pour the seeds into a blender and add the salt. Blend to a fine powder, shaking the blender occasionally to redistribute the seeds. Store in a tightly sealed glass jar in a cool, dry place or freeze.

Eating an artichoke is like getting to know someone really well.

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I always use pork shoulder for a southwestern style stew. The recipe comes from "The Feast of Santa Fe" which unfortunately is out of print now, but I love the book (maybe it's on ebay). Here's an approximation of the recipe:

Cook 1 cup of black beans from scratch. Use a bit of the leftover bean cooking liquid in the food processor with a small amount of corn meal and as much dried red chile powder (hot or mild) as you like, to make a paste. Brown the pork chunks in some oil with onions and garlic. Add cinnamon, cumin and some honey to the pork, add the paste, cook a bit; then add the remaining bean cooking liquid with some water to cover the stew. Cook for 1/2 hour or so. Add the cooked beans and cook for another 1/2 hour or so.

You'll need to degrease the stew unless you cut off a lot of the fat before cooking.

This is so good my husband asks for it over and over.

*****

"Did you see what Julia Child did to that chicken?" ... Howard Borden on "Bob Newhart"

*****

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I always use pork shoulder for a southwestern style stew.  The recipe comes from "The Feast of Santa Fe" which unfortunately is out of print now, but I love the book (maybe it's on ebay).  Here's an approximation of the recipe:

Cook 1 cup of black beans from scratch.  Use a bit of the leftover bean cooking liquid in the food processor with a small amount of corn meal and as much dried red chile powder (hot or mild) as you like, to make a paste.  Brown the pork chunks in some oil with onions and garlic.  Add cinnamon, cumin and some honey to the pork, add the paste, cook a bit; then add the remaining bean cooking liquid with some water to cover the stew.  Cook for 1/2 hour or so.  Add the cooked beans and cook for another 1/2 hour or so. 

You'll need to degrease the stew unless you cut off a lot of the fat before cooking.

This is so good my husband asks for it over and over.

Eating an artichoke is like getting to know someone really well.

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  • 3 years later...

Bought a small (6lb) pork shoulder roast to make pernil with. Wanted the roast to be a bit smaller (only for 3 people) so I cut off about a 1.5lb piece (skin and all). Any suggestion on how to cook it? Roast? Braise and then crisp up the skin? Marinate? Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated :smile:

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Last week I made what they call a pork blade steak which was just about the size you mention. I braised it with dried chiles, adapting a recipe I found in Alice Waters "The Art of Simple Food". Her recipe was for a larger piece and I halved her cooking times, checking with a probe thermometer. We enjoyed it very much. This was a piece of heritage pork I bought at the farmers' market. If your pork has the skin you might want to sear it at the end although if you keep the skin above the liquid you may not need to.

If you have her book the recipe is on page 139. I don't think it would be correct for me to post the recipe but if you do not have access to it and are interested you can send me a pm and I can scan and e-mail it to you.

Ruth Friedman

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I can think of a few ways to cook this cut of meat (or, if you have country ribs, or a butt). From Braising with Molly, I would do the Pork, Mango, Coconut Milk and Lime dish. Looks like baby poop, but delivers a huge punch (also works well with chix thighs). This dish is noteworthy, and an absolute favorite in our household. Another fave here would be Carnitas. Just make sure you have more pork than I think you have -- these things are addictive. Another option is a "Mexican" braise, not to be eaten as is, but morphed into Posole

Susan Fahning aka "snowangel"
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Have you cooked your shoulder steak yet?

Those are good suggestions above -- pork shoulder is versatile and flavorful, even if it's not the most tender part. You can probably tell by looking at it if it'll be a bit chewy and sinewy (which is something I don't really mind as it elongates the experience). I say spice it up and throw it on the gas grill or barbecue if weather permits.

Peter Gamble aka "Peter the eater"

I just made a cornish game hen with chestnut stuffing. . .

Would you believe a pigeon stuffed with spam? . . .

Would you believe a rat filled with cough drops?

Moe Sizlack

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This is one of my top 2 summertime meals. (First is BLTs with the 'maters from my garden_

I just salt and pepper the blade steak and grill over medium hot coals

Dip into sauce of

Soy

Sesame Oil

Lime

Ginger

Garlic

Lots and lots of fresh Thai chiles, also from my garden

I serve with roasted new potatoes and corn on the cob

Come on SUMMER

That's the thing about opposum inerds, they's just as tasty the next day.

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  • 1 month later...

Season with Creole seasoning and fresh black pepper. Then coat with egg wash and then flour and fry it--the best way is to use a well seasoned cast iron skillet--the same way chicken fried steak is made. When golden, brown and delicious remove from the frying pan to drain. Drain away all but a couple of tablespoons of the delicious fat and lightly saute some diced onion, then add flour to make a roux, add some water to deglaze and then enough milk to make a cream gravy, seasoned to taste. Best served with mashed potatoes and hearty greens like kale, mustard, collard, turnip or a mixture of those. YUM!

And don't forget to invite me for dinner. :wink:

Inside me there is a thin woman screaming to get out, but I can usually keep the Bitch quiet: with CHOCOLATE!!!

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  • 1 month later...

I have an 8 lb pork shoulder I found on sale that I threw in the freezer a couple of weeks ago until there was a good time to smoke it. The fact that it is still hard as a rock after 24 hours in the refrigerator section surprised me a little, though it should not have. Another week or two of thawing and it should be about right.

So what's the best or fastest or safest way to thaw this piece of meat if I am going to smoke it tonight? I need pulled pork for tomorrow evening and am open to getting a fresh shoulder and throwing this back in the freezer for now.

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I'd use a water bath. If it's already vacuum packed, or if you have a big enough zipper bag, immerse that in a warm water (probably by filling the sink) and change the water every 15 minutes or so. That should get you something relatively defrosted in a couple of hours.

Steven A. Shaw aka "Fat Guy"
Co-founder, Society for Culinary Arts & Letters, sshaw@egstaff.org
Proud signatory to the eG Ethics code
Director, New Media Studies, International Culinary Center (take my food-blogging course)

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I'm lazier than Fat Guy: I put it in cold water and leave it alone for a couple hours. It thaws quite quickly. I'm actually not sure how much difference using warm water would make, and I'd be a little leery from a food-safety perspective (though for home use, over relatively short thaw times, vacuum sealed, it's probably not a big deal).

Chris Hennes
Director of Operations
chennes@egullet.org

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Cold water is probably safer than warm, since that way nothing in the system ever gets into danger-zone temperatures. I imagine warm is quicker, but I've never done the math. Given that it's going to be smoked for several hours, though, I'm less worried about food safety than I'd be were it ground beef destined to be cooked medium-rare.

Steven A. Shaw aka "Fat Guy"
Co-founder, Society for Culinary Arts & Letters, sshaw@egstaff.org
Proud signatory to the eG Ethics code
Director, New Media Studies, International Culinary Center (take my food-blogging course)

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