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News & ArtsThursday, April 8, 2010
Chow Pork Shoulder Is the King of Meats
Posted by Dominic Holden on Thu, Apr 8, 2010 at 8:32 AM
You know about pork shoulder, right, the meat department wonder that deserves a crown? Sure, it seems unwieldy and tough and fatty and hauntingly pink. But you have a stove, don't you? And a big pot and some salt and some cooking oil? Then you—who perseveres through the grand recession—must have royalty over for dinner. It is easy. Purchase a pork shoulder (only about $2 a pound at the grocery store), salt the pork shoulder liberally and let it sit out for an hour, brown the dickens out of it over high heat, pour in a generous bath of chicken stock and some browned onions and carrots, insert the vessel into your oven at 300 degrees (275 if you're felling cray), and then walk away for approximately four to five hours. Blessed are the frugal and patient who shall feast on the tender ambrosia, having transformed the block into meat linguine and spirited away the fat and gristle. It's cheap. Bow down to the divine swine—thank it for its piggy sacrifice—and exalt pork shoulder to the throne! It's the King of Meats!
3
It's the stuff chili verde and carnitas are made of! i.e.: the best stuff ever. And don't forget, it also goes by the even better name of pork butt!
7
I think my Rabbi might have to disagree with you there, Dominic, but I won't! And if you won't tell, I won't either!
9
i haven't had meat in a while, but the only cut of pork i ever liked was pork belly. it also seemed hard to beat (at least pork-wise). thoughts?
13
Hey, I fell cray all the time. Give him a break. (At least he's not posting photos of his moldy, rotting pumpkin.)
15
I agree Dominic - that piece of the pig is definitely the king, when its done right. And you know who's been doing it right lately? Nectar in Fremont. They've been slow smoking shoulder all day for the most tender sliders and tacos around. Great with beer. Or margaritas. Even better at happy hour prices. yummmmmmy.
16
@6 - are you from SC or NC?
@9 - pork belly is very good.
I usually throw my pork shoulder in a crock pot with apples and a can of cranberry sauce and some chicken broth. after 9 hours it turns out very tasty and succulent.
@9 - pork belly is very good.
I usually throw my pork shoulder in a crock pot with apples and a can of cranberry sauce and some chicken broth. after 9 hours it turns out very tasty and succulent.
20
I coat it with bbq spices, throw in a couple sliced onions and braise it in beer with some vinegar added. To me, it tastes kind of flabby cooked in chicken broth.
21
I could not agree more, though @6 and @17 have even better ideas. Pretty hard to go wrong, though. 5280, you're missing out. The best pork butt I ever made was 14 hours in the Big Green Egg. The best pork I ever had was a friend's thrice-cooked Carnitas.
This is related to the fact that the tastiest cut of beef is brisket, which must also be cooked forever to break down all the connective tissue, while those fools gumming away at their $80 filet mignons are enjoying the least.
The worst pork cut is $$$ tenderloin, especially those nasty loins that are pre-zippered into their own plastic bag of Mystery Marinade for years in the supermarket rack. The meat has all the flavor and fibrous texture of balsa wood.
This is related to the fact that the tastiest cut of beef is brisket, which must also be cooked forever to break down all the connective tissue, while those fools gumming away at their $80 filet mignons are enjoying the least.
The worst pork cut is $$$ tenderloin, especially those nasty loins that are pre-zippered into their own plastic bag of Mystery Marinade for years in the supermarket rack. The meat has all the flavor and fibrous texture of balsa wood.
22
Advocates of a 14-hour smoke are all correct. Most people in Seattle, however, possess exactly zero smokers. But we have pots and ovens.
@ 20) If it's flabby after being cooked in stock then it hasn't been cooked long enough to render the fat. Which isn't to say something acidic is a bad thing. Apple cider or a bit of vinegar does a fine job.
@ 20) If it's flabby after being cooked in stock then it hasn't been cooked long enough to render the fat. Which isn't to say something acidic is a bad thing. Apple cider or a bit of vinegar does a fine job.
24
Fnarf, I'm not missing out on anything. Just because I'm not going to spend five hours making dinner, that doesn't mean I haven't paid someone else to do it.
25
I actually just made Cuban pork last night using a pork shoulder and my crock pot (plus lime and grapefruit juice). I will be eating it for days--not a complaint!
26
Yay! More recipes on slog! Dom, more recipes please... how about a column eating well on the cheap?
28
If I ate pork products, this would sound heavenly.
But yes, cheaper cuts of meat are often better. One of my favorite meals is chuck roast (usually $2.99 a pound or less around here), throw it in the crockpot with some mushrooms, Italian seasoning, salt, pepper, and beef broth, and let it cook all day (10 hours+). The meat is tender and flavorful, and the liquid makes a fantastic jus or, with a roux, gravy once the fat can be removed.
Yeah, I think pot roast is on the menu for this weekend.
But yes, cheaper cuts of meat are often better. One of my favorite meals is chuck roast (usually $2.99 a pound or less around here), throw it in the crockpot with some mushrooms, Italian seasoning, salt, pepper, and beef broth, and let it cook all day (10 hours+). The meat is tender and flavorful, and the liquid makes a fantastic jus or, with a roux, gravy once the fat can be removed.
Yeah, I think pot roast is on the menu for this weekend.
29
Or just put it in the crock pot with a little liquid of your choice. It'll be ready for dinner when you get home.
30
A leaner alternative is pork shoulder "cushion". A lot less fat than butts and comes in smaller pieces. You can find it at food service outlets like United Grocers Cash and Carry.
31
@22 - You don't need to smoke it to cook it slow and low, Dom. 225 works just as well in an oven.
By the way, my favorite way of cooking it is al Pastor style with a marinade of chiles (guajillo, ancho, and chipotle), salt, vinegar, cinnamon, cumin, and fresh pineapple. Pineapple has an enzyme which will yield even more tender meat . It sounds complicated, but really takes about 10 minutes and a food processor to get it ready to go.
Slice the roast into 1/2" thick slabs (not quite all the way through), slather the marinade in between each slab, tie it all back together, and then throw it in the oven right away (if you wait too long, that pineapple enzyme will turn the meat into mush). Cook at 225 until internal temp is around 185-190. You won't even need a knife to serve it. It's great on tacos for days!
"Butt roast" works just as well, if not better. By the way, that's a shoulder butt (i.e. top of the shoulder), not a pig butt (which would be a ham).
By the way, my favorite way of cooking it is al Pastor style with a marinade of chiles (guajillo, ancho, and chipotle), salt, vinegar, cinnamon, cumin, and fresh pineapple. Pineapple has an enzyme which will yield even more tender meat . It sounds complicated, but really takes about 10 minutes and a food processor to get it ready to go.
Slice the roast into 1/2" thick slabs (not quite all the way through), slather the marinade in between each slab, tie it all back together, and then throw it in the oven right away (if you wait too long, that pineapple enzyme will turn the meat into mush). Cook at 225 until internal temp is around 185-190. You won't even need a knife to serve it. It's great on tacos for days!
"Butt roast" works just as well, if not better. By the way, that's a shoulder butt (i.e. top of the shoulder), not a pig butt (which would be a ham).
32
Another great method is putting the roast in a pot of water with salt and the juice of a lime and an orange. Bring to a boil and then slow simmer until all the the water cooks out. You are then left with the rendered pork fat aka lard. The meat should then fall apart and crisp in the lard. The juice will add flavor and its sugars will help facilitate browning. Serve with your favorite tortilla and rajas con crema.
34
No way, Fnarf. Tenderloin is the absolute best. My butcher twines some fat around it. Grill it perfectly, and drool...
But an expertly smoked brisket is pretty darn awesome too. But that's the key - it's harder to fuck up steak than something you have to smoke for hours and hours, although if you DO screw up, hey, at least it didn't cost an arm and a leg. Tenderloin is so worth the cost, once in a while, just like Copper River king salmon....
But an expertly smoked brisket is pretty darn awesome too. But that's the key - it's harder to fuck up steak than something you have to smoke for hours and hours, although if you DO screw up, hey, at least it didn't cost an arm and a leg. Tenderloin is so worth the cost, once in a while, just like Copper River king salmon....
35
I'm going to agree with, Matt. Tenderloin is delicious. My favorite way is Porc au Cassis. Delicious.
36
I'm glad you specified to brown the dickens out of the meat.
If there's one thing I canNOT stand, it's biting into a nice juicy bit of roasted pork and getting a mouthful of Artful Dodger or something. Fuck that shite.
If there's one thing I canNOT stand, it's biting into a nice juicy bit of roasted pork and getting a mouthful of Artful Dodger or something. Fuck that shite.
38
Coming from a secular Jew: pork shoulder is amazing. My lapsed Catholic husband braises it in apple cider with thyme and carmelized onions. Mmmm.
But the best cut of pork I ever had was the 2lb "PDC Cut" from Au Pied Du Cochon in Montreal -- one giant floating rib. Dear God.
But the best cut of pork I ever had was the 2lb "PDC Cut" from Au Pied Du Cochon in Montreal -- one giant floating rib. Dear God.
39
This is pulled pork, whether it's smoked or not. You can also cook it for 6 to 9 hours in a crockpot, but don't put more than 1 can of chicken stock in or it might cook too fast. When the meat is done you should be able to pull it apart with a fork. Take the drippings and mix 50/50 with a spicy BBQ sauce and make a pulled pork sandwich. If you want less fat, refrigerate the drippings and remove the congealed fat layer from the top before mixing with the sauce.
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