Pork Shoulder

Inspired by Cantonese char siu, this boneless pork shoulder is gloriously shellacked with a molasses glaze for the perfect balance of sweet and savory.

Like rib eye, pork shoulder has lots of intramuscular fat, and like strip steak, it has satisfying chew. Slicing it thickly and grilling it swiftly maximizes the enjoyment of both.

Large chunks of pork shoulder are braised in a Vietnamese-style caramel sauce (made from a combination of fish sauce and palm sugar) that’s laced with Thai chilies, ginger, garlic, and shallots. Serve the fork-tender meat with plenty of rice and some sautéed pea shoots or greens.

It wouldn’t be right to cook an herby Parmesan-stuffed pork shoulder roast without making a Sunday gravy in the same pot to soak up every stray bit of flavor.

Does this cassoulet recipe seem daunting? Don‘t worry. We give you plenty of road signs along the way so you can break it up into several manageable steps.

Canned chickpeas are perfect for this one-pot dish because they become even more creamy as they warm in the cooking liquid. In case you’re not a fan, you can go with whatever canned bean you like.

Scoring the skin isn’t just for looks; it helps the fat render and makes the roast easy to slice.

When I was a kid growing up in the Midwest, my friends and I would always pick up big packages of bratwurst to grill while watching sporting events. I wanted to re-create the sausage of my youth, and I think these bratwurst come pretty close. This is a simple, classic sausage; serve it on a crunchy roll with mustard and sauerkraut.

The pairing of barbecue and Big Red Soda is super-popular throughout the South, so why not combine the two in one killer dish? The sweet, cult-favorite cream soda, originally from Texas, is often compared to cinnamon bubble gum, but also has notes of lemon, orange, and vanilla. Here, it's combined with barbecue sauce as a cooking liquid for slow-cooked, spice-rubbed pork shoulder, with results that are sweet, spicy, and as uniquely flavored as Big Red itself.

If you’ve never made posole, this is a good starter recipe. There are no hard-to-get cuts (like the pig’s head called for in many traditional versions), and most of the process is hands-off.

Bridge the gap between chilly weather and the first warm breezes of spring with this lazy-day braise.

Your takeout wishes it was as good as this quick-cooking pork chop dinner with saucy pineapple and sesame-coated broccoli.

The essential ingredients for this Portuguese-inspired Indian dish are wine, vinegar, and garlic. Additions of mustard seeds, cumin, turmeric, and chiles make it specifically colonial Goan.

This is the recipe given to me by Pierrette Lejanou. The addition of walnut oil at the last moment brightens the taste of the beans. Begin preparations two days before you plan to serve the cassoulet.

Tamarind gives this hearty stew a pleasant sweet-sour pucker.

The Cubano’s cuter cousin, the Media Noche was sold as a late-night snack in Havana’s cafés. Calling for the same blend of sweet-cured ham, Swiss cheese, and pickles, it works best with juicier cuts of pork—though what really sets it apart is the egg-rich Pan de Media Noche.

From wild pigs fed on small nuts retrieved by ranch hands nimbly climbing royal palms to all day vigils around wooden roasting boxes, getting pork right is a serious Cuban affair. This Lechón Asado falls in between those extremes. The pork shoulder is marinated in mojo then oven-roasted over several hours, usually overnight. The heat is cranked up at the very end until the skin turns a deep golden brown. Traditionally made for Nochebuena, it’s a holiday dish that’s simple enough to make for any occasion. This recipe comes from Sofía Benítez Otero.

This meltingly tender pork shoulder is the ultimate make-ahead summer dinner party main. A fresh chimichurri-style basil sauce balances the rich pork with bright zesty flavors.

Arguably, some of the best ‘cue in the country can be found in North Carolina, where two distinct types of slow-cooked pig prevail. The first is Eastern barbecue, which is distinguished by slow-cooking a whole hog and including both the white and dark meat in chopped sandwiches and platters. Eastern ‘cue boasts just a hint of vinegar and red pepper, which is added to the meat mix rather than used as a sauce. Western North Carolina ‘cue (aka Lexington-style) is made from pork shoulder only. In addition to incorporating plenty of vinegar, sugar, and spices, it also mixes in a good amount of ketchup to create an actual sauce for the pork. This slow-cooker recipe falls somewhere in between.

You can always ask your butcher to slice the pork shoulder on the electric slicer for you, which will ensure even pieces and save you time.