This easy hands-off braise makes the perfect Sunday dinner and speedy weeknight dinners. Braised pork shoulder is a simple two-step process that, once in the oven, cooks unattended and fills the kitchen with hunger-inducing aromas.
Pork butt, pork shoulder and picnic shoulder are basically the same cut. Despite the conflicting names, you can use them interchangeably. Adding to the confusion, pork butt or Boston butt is cut from the shoulder of the pig. Lore has it that New England butchers packed inexpensive cuts of meat into large barrels called butts for storage and transportation. Pork shoulder meat packed this way became known as pork butt and the name stuck.
These cuts are relatively inexpensive and they can be tough, needing lots of time to simmer slowly before turning silky and tender. It’s best to purchase the meat bone-in and skin-on to help keep it moist as it cooks.
A full bone-in pork butt is a formidable roast, often weighing in at 8 to 12 pounds. But you can find it sold in 2- to 3-pound hunks or ask a butcher to cut one for you. I like to keep the braise simple. Instead of adding lots of strong herbs or aromatics, this recipe relies on several heads of garlic that melt into a rich, flavorful sauce.
The leftover meat and sauce can be transformed into a range of quick weeknight dinners. Think pulled-pork sandwiches on soft rolls, pork and black bean nachos, bành mí on a crusty baguette, a fiery chili with black beans, shredded pork lettuce wraps. Sizzle leftover pork with Asian spices and serve over rice; simmer the meat in tomato sauce for pasta.
So many dinners, so little work!
Sunday’s Garlicky Pork Shoulder
Serves 4 to 6.
Make one dinner on Sunday and enjoy quick and easy meals throughout the week. Look for bone-in cuts for the best flavor and allow plenty of time for the meat to turn silky and fork-tender. Serve thickly sliced pork with plenty of juices spooned over roasted new potatoes and baby tomatoes (see recipes) made while the meat is roasting, with hunks of crusty bread for dunking. Mashed potatoes or pasta are delicious sides, too. Leftover pork will keep in the refrigerator about four days and freezes easily. From Beth Dooley.
3 to 4 lb. bone-in, skin-on pork shoulder
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tbsp. olive oil
2 heads garlic, cut crosswise
1 c. white wine
3 c. chicken or vegetable stock, more if needed
4 to 6 sprigs fresh rosemary or oregano
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Liberally season the pork on both sides with salt and pepper.
Film a large Dutch oven with the oil and set over medium heat. When it begins to shimmer, set the garlic cut-side down in the pot. Cook until golden, about 3 to 4 minutes. Remove the garlic and set aside. Add the pork and cook until well browned and very crisp on all sides, about 15 minutes. Remove the pork and set aside.
Add the wine and stock to the pot and stir, scraping up all the browned bits on the bottom of the pot. Return the pork and garlic to the pot and add the herbs. Cover and transfer to the oven. Cook, turning occasionally and adding more stock if necessary, until the pork is very tender and falls apart when pulled with a fork, about 3 to 3 ½ hours.
Transfer the pork to a cutting board to rest for about 10 to 15 minutes. Squeeze 2 of the garlic halves to pop the cloves into the braising liquid and discard their skins as well as the herb sprigs. Remove the fat that forms on the top of the juices. Set the pot over medium heat and simmer until the juices reduce slightly. Season to taste. Slice the pork against the grain into thick pieces and serve drizzled with braising liquid on top. Garnish with the remaining garlic halves.
Roast Cherry Tomatoes
Serves 4 to 6.
2 pints cherry tomatoes
1 tbsp. olive oil
Coarse salt
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Roll the cherry tomatoes onto the baking sheet and drizzle with the oil and sprinkle with the salt. Roast until the tomatoes have popped open and are charred, about 25 to 30 minutes.
Roast Potatoes
Serves 4 to 6.
1 ½ lb. potatoes, scrubbed and cut into quarters
1 to 2 tbsp. olive oil
Coarse salt
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Lay the potatoes, cut side up, on the baking sheet, drizzle with the oil and sprinkle with the salt. Roast until the potatoes are nicely browned and crisp, about 35 to 40 minutes.
Beth Dooley is the author of “The Perennial Kitchen.” Find her at bethdooleyskitchen.com.