Fall-apart-tender pork shoulder cooked in the crock-pot. This super easy recipe takes less than 10 minutes to prep and can be cooked in as little as 4-5 hours on the high setting. Use the delicious shredded meat for pulled pork and carnitas recipes to make meal planning a breeze, all the while fooling your loved ones into thinking you spent hours over the stove. Show
Have you ever eaten a pork or beef dish that was so fall-apart-tender it was like cutting into butter? Maybe you ordered it at a restaurant and with each bite of succulent meat imagined the chef painstakingly standing over the cut for two days straight, cooking it low and slow to perfection. Updated Recipe + Pork Shoulder F.A.Q. (Scroll To The Bottom For The Recipe If You Have No Questions) Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ): Pork Shoulders 1. What is Pork Shoulder and Which Part of the Pig Is Used?Pork shoulder goes by many names: Boston butt, Boston roast, pork butt, shoulder butt, shoulder roast, country roast, shoulder blade roast, and arm roast (a.k.a. picnic ham - NOT to be confused with actual ham, which comes from the back part of the pig). With so many names, it gets confusing. To keep it easy, think of "pork shoulder" as the broad term that describes the whole front shoulder area of the pig, which is broken up into different cuts (hence the many names). If you want to know more, check out this source, which goes into depth about the many different cuts of pork. 2. Why Is Pork Shoulder The Best Cut For Pulled Pork or Carnitas?For pulled pork and carnitas, we need juicy, tender, easily shreddable meat, which you won't get using a lean (i.e. almost fat-free) cut of meat like the loin. So, it's important to choose meat that has a generous amount of fat and connective tissue (like collagen) throughout it. Why?
3. Should I Choose Boneless or Bone-In?There's no right or wrong answer here. Both will work; however, I always use bone-in because the bone adds extra flavor and I can save it to use for homemade bone broth or ham & beans later on. 4. What Size Pork Shoulder Should I Buy?It depends on how many people you're trying to feed and/or how many leftovers you want. I typically get pork shoulder when it's on sale, so it makes more sense to buy a larger 8 to 9 lb. Boston butt so I have tons of
meat for multiple meals throughout the week and then plenty more to freeze for future meals. I'm not joking about the amounts here...you will have a buttload of meat! 5. Do I Need To Add Liquid When Slow Cooking?As long as you're choosing a cut with plenty of fat and connective tissue, you don't need to add any liquid to keep it moist; the meat will create its own liquid as it cooks down; however, if you want to add some liquid for flavor, that's totally fine. I use a bit of chicken broth and citrus juice in this recipe and there are others on the internet that use beer or soda. (Note: I would caution against using too much liquid (many cups), as that will dilute the delicious pork flavor of the liquid gold that forms.) 6. How Long Does It Take to Cook a Pork Shoulder in a Crock-Pot?This will depend on the size of the meat, whether you cut it into pieces, and at what temperature/setting you're cooking it. In my experience, a 4 lb. bone-in pork shoulder typically takes 6-8 hours on the low setting and 3-4 hours on the high setting in my manual slow
cooker. One that's twice the size (7 to 8 lbs.) will take twice as long (12-14 hours on low and 6-8 hours on high). 7. At What Temperature is Pork Shoulder Done? When Should I Shred It Into Pulled Pork or Carnitas?If you own a meat thermometer and want to check it that way, the pork should be easily shreddable when it hits 190 degrees. As I mentioned above, you're cooking it way past "well done" in order to break down all the connective tissue, which turns into gelatin and makes the meat fall-apart-tender. 8. Why Isn't My Pork Shoulder Shredding?If it's not shredding, then you either: 9. What's The Difference Between Pulled Pork and Carnitas?Full
Disclosure: I'm not an expert by any stretch of the imagination in barbecue (i.e. smoked meats) or Mexican cuisine. I'm just a self-taught home cook who likes to experiment with food and learn as I go in my real food journey. With that in mind, I'm going to attempt to distinguish the two as I understand them. If you have more knowledge of these dishes or would like to correct me, please share your wisdom in a comment
below. Carnitas 10. How Should I Reheat Leftover Pork Shoulder? If I haven't mixed the pork into a dish yet, my favorite way to reheat it is on the stovetop. I typically mix the cooking liquid back into the shredded meat before storing it, so I just grab a chunk of it from the container, plop it into a skillet, and warm it back up until the edges start to get a bit crispy, while still retaining moisture. Watch The Recipe Video
Note: The video will appear to your right if you're seeing this on a desktop computer. :) crock pot, roast, slow cooked, boneless, bone-in, how long to cook, easy Main Dish Mexican Yield: 4 1/2 cups of Shredded Pork (approx.) Slow Cooker Pork Shoulder (For Carnitas & Pulled Pork)prep time: 10 Mcook time: 8 hourtotal time: 8 H & 10 M Fall-apart-tender pork shoulder cooked in the crock-pot. This super easy recipe takes less than 10minutes to prep and can be cooked in as little as 4-5 hours on the high setting. Use the delicious shredded meat for pulled pork and carnitas recipes to make meal planning a breeze, all the while fooling your loved ones into thinking you spent hours over the stove. ingredients:For The Pork Shoulder:
For The Spice Rub: (add one heaping teaspoon of each of the following dried spices)
instructions:How to cook Slow Cooker Pork Shoulder (For Carnitas & Pulled Pork)
NOTES:DOUBLING THE RECIPE: When I fix a larger 7-8 lb pork shoulder, I use the same amount of onion, garlic & broth, but double the spice rub, orange, and lime. WHAT TO DO WITH THE LIQUID: If you want to use the meat for both carnitas and pulled pork style dishes, keep the liquid and meat separate since it's flavored with Mexican-style spices. If you're just using it for Mexican or Tex-Mex-style recipes, go ahead and mix the liquid in now. CARNITAS RECIPES: When you're ready to use the meat carnitas-style for tacos, enchiladas, burrito bowls, etc., mix the meat with a bit of the liquid (it will become gelatinous as it cools in the fridge) and heat in a skillet until the edges become crispy, but the insides are still moist, PULLED PORK RECIPES: If you want to use the meat for pulled pork, add a smidgen of the cooking liquid to help keep it moist when you reheat, then toss the meat with your favorite barbecue sauce or seasonings. © The Rising Spoon. All images & content are copyright protected. Please do not reprint this recipe without my written permission. If you'd like to feature this recipe on your site, please take your own pictures, rewrite the directions in your own words, and link to this post as the original source. Thank you! Did You Make This Recipe? Click Here to Save This To Your Slow Cooker Recipes Board on Pinterest! PAID ENDORSEMENT DISCLOSURE: In order for me to support my blogging activities, I may receive monetary compensation or other types
of remuneration for my endorsement, recommendation, testimonial and/or link to any products or services from this blog. However, I ONLY recommend helpful products that I myself would use. And I'm really picky about what I share with you guys. Because I myself am super choosy about what I buy and consume. Recommending products that I love or want to own helps me cover the costs of running this blog and keep providing you with free, helpful
information. And it costs nothing extra for you. Thanks! How long does pork take in the slow cooker?How long to cook a pork roast in the slow cooker – for pork loin, 4 to 5 hours on low for tender, juicy perfection. Pork shoulder needs to be cooked for 10 hours on low for a 1.5 – 2.5kg / 3 – 5 lb pork roast.
How long can you leave pork shoulder in slow cooker?While it's hard to overcook a tough and fatty cut like pork shoulder when it's on low in a slow cooker, it will eventually become dry as more liquid evaporates. For best results, cook it in a small amount of liquid and don't cook it for more than 10 or 11 hours for best results.
Can you overcook pork shoulder in slow cooker?Can you overcook the pork? It's hard to overcook the well-marbled and fatty shoulder cut. However, it can become mushy due to the acids in the sauce if the cooking continues too long beyond the recommended cook times. Make sure to keep an eye on the pork and take a bite for the best gauge of doneness.
Is it better to slow cook pork on low or high?Low and slow is always the go for a tender pork roast. Depending on the size of the roast and the type of slow cooker, a pork roast is best cooked on LOW for 6-8 hours. If you prefer an oven method, a typical roast will take 3-4 hours in a low (160°C) oven.
Do I need to add liquid to slow cooker pork shoulder?Here's how to make pulled pork in a crock pot:. Procure Your Pork. ... . Season Your Pork, and Put it in Your Slow Cooker. ... . And an Onion and Any Other Aromatics You Like. ... . Add about 1/4 Cup Liquid Per Pound of Pork. ... . Slow Cook It! ... . Separate Pork From Liquid, and Pull. ... . Turn That Cooking Liquid Into a Sauce. ... . Serve As You Like It.. |