A lot of people ask me how to cook a big pork shoulder in their slow cooker. I have been cooking them since my first marriage. I remember the first time I cooked one, it came out perfect. Now there are a couple of things you need to do to make it perfect every time. Also, I have a new blog up with Pork Shoulder recipes and tips on how to cook them and get them juicy and tender.
Makes 6 servings
I have bought pork shoulder many times and used it for pulled pork. It often comes out dry and overcooked. Before buying a shoulder I ask the butcher to cut it crosswise in half so that I can see how much fat is on it. If there is very little fat, I will not buy it.
TIP 1: Freshly ground black pepper – I use a lot of black pepper with the meat while it is cooking. The pepper enhances the flavor of pork and cuts the richness.
TIP 2: Watch the temperature – I use a meat thermometer to make sure the meat does not get over 200 degrees F. Pork cooked over 200 degrees F gets tough and chewy, even if you wrap it in foil to let it rest for half an hour after you remove it from the oven. If the thermometer goes over 200, stop cooking immediately and let sit for 15 minutes before pulling or chopping.
TIP 3: Avoid packing – When you put all your pork in a roasting pan or other container, do not pack the pieces together tightly or they will steam instead of roast. You want them to brown nicely, so leave some room between them.
TIP 4: Let it rest – Pork that has rested has not been sitting in
The 6 tips I have come from my own experience cooking the same dish over and over again to get it right. I hope it helps you out!
Tip 1: Make sure that you buy pork shoulder, not a pork butt. If your meat market does not have a separate section for pork shoulder, then ask for it. The reason that this is important is because a pork butt has more fat and will cook faster than a pork shoulder.
Tip 2: Make sure that you cook with the skin on. The reason for this is because the skin will help keep the inside of the roast succulent, juicy and tender. Also, if you choose to eat some of the skin while you are eating your pork shoulder, you’ll know that it is cooked to perfection.
Tip 3: Let it rest before slicing or pulling apart your pulled pork shoulder. The reason for this is because while resting, your roast will stay hot and juicy while getting ready to be sliced or pulled apart.
Tip 4: Do not crowd your pan when cooking your roast. The reason for this is because if there isn’t enough room in the pan, then all of the good juices that are produced while cooking will be steamed off rather than staying in the pan to add flavor to your roast
I am taking my time to write this post because I have not had a chance to cook with a pork shoulder since last February so I have been hunting and gathering new tips and tricks that I can share with you.
This is my first time cooking a whole pork shoulder, other than the ones in my crock pot, so it is all new to me. I know many of you out there probably have done this before but if you haven’t, maybe my “newbie” tips will help.
1. Our pork butts weighed in at 12 pounds each, so make sure your pork shoulder is at least 10 pounds.
2. Go big or go home! You’ll be cooking this low and slow for many hours, so make sure you have enough room in your smoker to accommodate a large hunk of meat.
3. Smoke your pork butt over indirect heat only. We’re not grilling these BBQ beauties — the goal is moist, juicy meat that falls off the bone, not charred skin or burnt ends.
Toss in 4-6 chunks of your favorite smoking wood for flavor — we used cherry and maple — and place the pork shoulder on a rack over a drip pan.
4. Cover it and cook it! Pork shoulders can handle anywhere from 8-10 hours of low-and-slow cooking (we recommend 9 1/2 hours!) at 225 degrees F or less with little risk of drying out the meat.
5. Let it rest for about an hour before you carve it up and serve it up to your hungry guests!
**6. Enjoy!**
Dry Pork Shoulder
by L.V. Anderson on November 03, 2010
I love pork shoulder. It’s cheap, easy to cook, and doesn’t require much more than salt and pepper to be delicious. I also love pulled pork sandwiches and carnitas, which are made from pork shoulder. But the absolute worst thing about cooking a pork shoulder is that it usually takes forever. That’s not the case with the method below—you can have a delicious pork shoulder that’s ready in four hours or less, thanks to a trick I learned from Cook’s Illustrated .
Tender meat from a slow cooker, but with a good crust? Could it really be that easy? I had my doubts when I first saw this recipe , but it was incredibly easy and resulted in some of the best pork I’ve ever cooked at home (including some pretty great homemade barbecue). Here’s how to do it:
1. You’re going to cook your pork shoulder in a slow cooker for 1 hour per pound—in other words, if you buy a 5-pound shoulder, you’ll cook it for 5 hours on high or 10 hours on low. This is significantly faster than most recipes for cooking pork shoulder; most call for 8 to 12 hours of cooking time on low
Cinnamon Sticks
Take a 3-4 lb pork shoulder and remove the bone. Now you have a piece of meat with 3 layers. The top layer is a thin skin, the bottom layer is fat. The middle layer is the meat.
Fry the skin in oil on medium heat until it gets brown and crispy. If you want to add some extra flavor, add 1/2 tsp of paprika powder to the oil before frying. This will give it a nice red color and make the end result taste great too. When the skin is done you can either leave it on top or carefully cut around it and place it underneath together with some of the fat that has melted out of it.
Now for cooking. Place your seasoned pork shoulder in a baking dish (I used an ovenproof cast iron pot). Add 1 cup of water and 1 tbsp of vinegar (to prevent it from burning). Put the lid on and bake for about 4 hours at 130C/275F (350F if using convection). Take off lid after 2 hours so that your meat won’t dry out.
After 2-3 hours take out the meat and put it on a plate to cool off before shredding or chopping it up with a knife in small pieces. To
