What do you make with a pork shoulder?

[DawnM]

DH bought two at Costco.  One I will be using to make crock pot pulled pork sandwiches.

 

Any ideas for the other?

 

This may seem like an odd question but I don't care for pork so I never buy it.  DH went to the store and got some.

 

Dawn

[Critterfixer]

Make a pork stew. Cube it up, sear it like beef and go crazy. I think it's pretty good with traditional veggies, but I might add hominy for corn, or beans for potatoes, things like that. Usually I use a chicken stock for the liquid. 

[PrincessMommy]

I cook it in the crock with some of my fav. bbq sauce, onions, and paprika (and some water).  Then I just slice it (as best as it can be sliced) and save the juice.  The next day I make my own pulled pork bbq LC sauce...mix it with some of the reserved juice and little bit more of the store-bought bbq sauce.

 

Of course, it can all be frozen too.

 

That's about all I know to do with it.  I'd love to hear about some more ideas. 

[LucyStoner]

I make carnitas and serve it with jalepeno red cabbage coleslaw, corn tortillas and pickled peppers.

 

Leftovers make great sandwiches.

 

 

http://smittenkitchen.com/blog/2011/11/homesick-texan-carnitas/

 

My coleslaw is just a finely sliced head of red cabbage with this dressing:

 

1/4-1/2 cup mayo (all the better if it is homemade!)

Lime juice

A splash of apple cider vinegar

Some finely minced garlic

Fresh cilantro

A couple finely diced jalapeño, less to taste

A pinch of salt and black pepper

[AlmiraGulch]

I adore pork and have it often.

 

Tonight I'm having roasted pork tenderloin, but I roast pork shoulder, too.  The key to making it taste good and not dry out is in the cooking method.  Here's what I do, and I swear to you it is perfect every single time.

 

1. Marinate the roast in your favorite marinade.  For shoulder, I'd do it at least overnight because it tends to be a bit of a tougher cut.  Today's marinade included olive oil, balsamic, red wine vinegar, worcestershire sauce, dijon mustard (just a touch because I'm not a huge mustard fan), garlic, salt, pepper, and a touch of honey.  

 

2. When you're ready to cook, weigh your roast so you know exactly how much it weighs.  This is important.

 

3. Pre-heat oven to 500 degrees.  Yes, 500.

 

4.  Cook the roast on the center rack, uncovered, and bake for exactly 5.5 minutes per pound.  Then, turn off the oven, but don't remove the pork.

 

5.  DO NOT OPEN THE OVEN UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES

 

6.  Let the roast sit in the oven with door closed for 45 minutes to an hour.  I usually do an hour.

 

That's it.  Perfect roast.  Tender, flavorful, moist, and juicy, every single time.  I roast my beef the same way and have never, ever had it come out less than perfect.

 

Tonight I'll be serving it with roasted potatoes and pan sauteed brussel sprouts.

 

 

[MrsMommy]

I'm not a huge pork fan, either, but I do love a pork shoulder!

 

I make carnitas (my very favorite pork recipe), which is especially good as a tostada topping, and use the leftovers of that for soup (I replace the turkey in the recipe with the pork), and a Qdoba Gumbo type thing.

 

Dr. Pepper pork

 

Mojito pork

[Slartibartfast]

I make puled pork more than once.

 

Dh loves pulled pork. He cannot get enough of it. Once he realized how easy it is to make it is not uncommon for me to open my fridge only to see some pork shoulder sitting there or to wander into the kitchen with pork shoulder in the oven unexpectedly.

 

I might make carnitas once in awhile.

[Ali in OR]

I would put the second roast in the freezer and make pulled pork again in August. My kids don't eat a ton, so if I made it now with the first roast, I would have leftovers for a second dinner. I put the leftovers in the freezer in a zip-loc bag and it's a nice quick dinner in July. That's why I wouldn't need to make more until August (once a month for pulled pork is enough around here).

[Lady Florida.]

My first thought was carnitas. I see that others agree. :)

[Farrar]

I do it as BBQ and it always is soooo good and easy. I love that Costco recently started cutting the shoulder in half so I can cook half and freeze half.

[Catwoman]

My first thought was carnitas. I see that others agree. :)

See, my first thought was that if she wants to make a whole pig, she's gonna need more than just the shoulders.

[Seasider]

I don't buy it often because it's fatty. But it's yummy!

 

I do two things with it, pulled pork for BBQ, and carnitas. Both start with a low slow cook in a sealed crock pot or Dutch oven with general salt, pepper and garlic spices. I remove it from the crock, let it cool a bit and then defat it by hand. Then shred it.

 

For BBQ, reheat with favorite sauce. Serve in the traditional manner.

 

For carnitas, toss with favorite taco/fajita seasonings and reheat slowly. Use the meat on a plate with retried beans and Spanish rice, as meat for traditional tacos or burritos, or as meat rolled in tortillas with a cilantro-lime cole slaw.

 

Yum. Now I'm hungry for some carnitas.

[Brilliant]

...

 

I do two things with it, pulled pork for BBQ, and carnitas. Both start with a low slow cook in a sealed crock pot or Dutch oven with general salt, pepper and garlic spices. I remove it from the crock, let it cool a bit and then defat it by hand. Then shred it.

 

For BBQ, reheat with favorite sauce. Serve in the traditional manner.

 

For carnitas, toss with favorite taco/fajita seasonings and reheat slowly. Use the meat on a plate with retried beans and Spanish rice, as meat for traditional tacos or burritos, or as meat rolled in tortillas with a cilantro-lime cole slaw.

...

 

That's basically what I do, except I add chopped onion and canned green chilies to the crockpot, along with the salt, pepper, & garlic.  Then it's ready to go straight into tacos or burritos.  And then the next day we mix with BBQ sauce for sandwiches.  (nobody notices the green chilies once it's been mixed with the sauce).  Yum. 

 

[Lady Florida.]

I don't buy it often because it's fatty. But it's yummy!

 

 

 

I don't either for the same reason. I have a weird texture thing about fatty meat. It's one reason I don't order any kind of pulled meat at a restaurant. At home I can pick off the fat, or better yet use a leaner cut of meat.

[KungFuPanda]

I always do it the same . . . Season, cook forever, shred. I do change up the meals

 

BBQ sauce /pulled pork

 

Taco seasoning /burritos

 

Asian seasoning / over rice with steamed veggies OR serve with the little pancakes and plum sauce like Peking duck

 

 

I like to keep a stash of burritos in my freezer because a burrito is a whole meal in my book. This is my favorite meat for filling them.

[DawnM]

Thanks guys!

 

 

[Seasider]

I like to keep a stash of burritos in my freezer because a burrito is a whole meal in my book. This is my favorite meat for filling them.

That's a great idea - I can never be sure when my hungry teens will come grazing through. What all do you wrap in the tortilla? Do you brown the tortilla before wrapping and freezing, or not bother with that step?

[KungFuPanda]

That's a great idea - I can never be sure when my hungry teens will come grazing through. What all do you wrap in the tortilla? Do you brown the tortilla before wrapping and freezing, or not bother with that step?

I just make sure the tortillas are warm. Usually I'll wrap a stack in foil and put them in the oven for a bit. I like my burritos to have seasoned rice, meat, beans, bell peppers, and cheese. I mix salsa and yogurt and put that in there too. The yogurt adds a sour cream tanginess, but thaws better than sour cream. Generally, I'm serving all of this stuff for dinner and turn the leftovers into burritos. To reheat, I thaw in the microwave and finish in the oven. A teen will probably just zap it, but I think it's worth the wait to bake it.

[Dory]

Put it in a sling and use it as a club? Hang it from a tree and see what local wildlife you can attract and then study with the kids (totally counts for science class). Make your dogs love you forever.

 

Sorry, I just didn't want to be left out. :D

I have never cooked or eaten pork so I wouldn't actually know.

[Belacqua]

Pork-cocoa sugo and homemade pappardelle. I know that sounds weird, but it doesn't scream **chocolate pork!!**  I promise. 

[marbel]

Tony Luke's pork.

 

Or I just rub it with the spices my husband uses when he smokes pork, and put it in the crockpot.  Not as good as smoked, but passable.

 

 

[DawnM]

I decided to go ahead and try the first one.

 

I happen to have about 1/2 cup of tequila sitting here from our girls' beach weekend 2 years ago.  There was a swig left but the girl who drank it mostly couldn't take it on the plane and I live within driving distance so I take most of the leftovers.  I don't drink the stuff!

 

Thanks,

 

Dawn

 

 

I'm not a huge pork fan, either, but I do love a pork shoulder!

 

I make carnitas (my very favorite pork recipe), which is especially good as a tostada topping, and use the leftovers of that for soup (I replace the turkey in the recipe with the pork), and a Qdoba Gumbo type thing.

 

Dr. Pepper pork

 

Mojito pork