Expert Advises On Cooking Pork Shoulder

There are some techniques to consider when cooking pork shoulder, one expert has advised.

A new article has advised on how to make the most of a good piece of pork shoulder.

In a blog for the Washington Post's A Mighty Appetite page, it is noted that whenever preparing such sections of meat cooks are "in for a treat", but some extra care should also be taken.

The shoulder is best served by being cooked slowly in the oven, it advises, noting although the meat is already packed with flavour, some extra ingredients should be considered.

"You can use wine, beer, chicken stock, and/or juice - I'm thinking orange or apple, but there's a ton of options - as your braising liquid," the author concludes, adding that a chopped onion and a few herbs will nicely round out the dish.

The article also recommends allowing the meat to simmer for about an hour, which could mean a cooker's electronic timer could come in handy.

Stoves' 61EHDO cooker, for example, features an electronic programmable timer and has a 35-litre main cavity capacity.

How about this delicious recipe for Slow Roasted Pork Shoulder with Spiced Apple Relish? Use the slow cook feature on your oven for excellent results.

Serves 8
Preparations and cooking times
Prep 45 minutes
Cook min 2 hrs 45 minutes

Ingredients

3-3.5kg boned and rolled pork shoulder, skin deeply scored
olive oil
300ml dry cider
4 cooking apples, peeled, cored and cut into chunks
3 tbsp golden caster sugar
1 cinnamon stick
½ tsp crushed dried chillies
Nutmeg
Crusty bread rolls or baguettes, to serve
Wild rocket , to serve

For the Spice Paste

2 tsp fennel seeds
1 tsp coriander seeds
1 tsp black peppercorns
1 tsp crushed dried chillies
3 tsp sea salt
4 garlic cloves, crushed
1 lemon, zested and juiced

Heat the oven to 230C/fan 210C/gas 8. To make the spice paste, lightly crush the fennel seeds, coriander seeds and peppercorns with a pestle and mortar. Add the chilli, salt, garlic and lemon zest and mix to a paste. Using your fingers, push the mixture into the slits in the pork skin. Put the pork, skin side up, on a rack in a roasting tin and drizzle with a little olive oil. Roast for about 20-25 minutes until the skin starts to crisp.

Turn the oven down to 150C/fan 130C/gas 2. Turn the pork over, pour over the lemon juice and cook for 1 hour. Pour 150ml cider into the roasting tin and cook for a further hour.

To make the relish, put the apples in a pan with the sugar, remaining cider, cinnamon stick, chilli and a good grating of nutmeg. Cover and cook over a low heat until reduced to a thick pulp. Add more sugar if needed. n Remove the pork from the oven and tip the pan juices into a saucepan. Turn the oven up to 220C/fan 200C/ gas 7. Cook the pork for a further 25-30 minutes until the skin has turned golden and very crisp. Rest for 10-15 minutes.

Spoon off the fat from the pan juices and warm over a gentle heat. Thinly slice the pork and serve in rolls or baguettes with a drizzle of the warm pan juices, a handful of rocket and a good spoonful of apple relish. And don't forget the crackling.

By: Amy Dutton

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