Pulled pork is super simple to make and nearly impossible to mess up. From tacos to tamales to bbq, this is a great meat to use in any Latin recipe.
Pork shoulder is one of the fattier cuts of meat which gives is a lot of flavor and keeps it incredibly moist even after a long while in the oven. This cut of meat is versatile and can be prepared many different ways. One of the most popular is a recipe from Puerto Rico call pernil.
Shoulder
Shoulder refers to the front leg of the pig and can be divided into either the blade (or butt) which comes from the top section, or the picnic (or arm) which comes from the lower section. These subprimal cuts can then be further broken down for market.:
- Butt: Cubes, Blade Steaks, Boston Roast, and Smoked Shoulder Roll
- Picnic: Picnic Roast, Picnic Ham, Hocks, Ground Pork, Arm Steaks
For this recipe, try to see if you can pick up an entire bone in butt or picnic cut. It will weigh between 5-9 lbs., but once finished, it freezes well and can be used in nearly every Latin dish: tacos, nachos, tlyudas, etc.
Brine
While brining will add an extra day to this process, your efforts will be well rewarded. Through the power of osmosis, brining forces extra moisture and seasoning deep into the meat further ensuring a moist end product.Originally brining was used to preserve meats and as a side effect added a lot of flavor.
To Brine:
- In a large pot mix a ratio of 1 cup of salt to one gallon of water. Mix.
- Place the shoulder into the brine and allow to soak for 10-15 hours in a cool place.
Roasted Pork Shoulder
Ingredients:
- 5-7 lb. brined pork shoulder
- 3 Tablespoons salt
- 1 Tablespoon course ground pepper
- 2 Tablespoons ground cumin
- 2 medium onions halved
- 4 cloves of garlic
Procedure:
- Mix the spices together and rub all over the outside of the pork.
- Place on a cooking pan with the onion and garlic.
- Roast in a 300 degree oven for 8-10 hours. Some recipes recommend a higher temperature for a shorter period of time, but this seems to be the best for the texture of the final product.
Slice and serve with Spanish rice, or to pull the pork, take a big hunk and with two forks shred the meat.
Optional: You can add some sliced apples and sprinkle some brown sugar on the pork when you have a couple hours left for a crispy brown skin.
This is just the beginning of your pork shoulder adventure. With your final cooked product you can make a chipotle sauce and simmer it, use it in any of the following recipes, or come up with your own uses.
