sprinklefingers

we have an obscene awesome amount of pork at our house right now. this week alone we’re eating spare ribs, back ribs, pork shoulder and pork loin. not because we HAVE to, but because we WANT to (or at least i want to. and i do all the cooking, so the other two will eat what i prepare, right? right, dammit.)

anyways, in searching for the easiest way possible to prepare pork shoulder without going to the trouble of building a haphazard smoker, i have - with the help of the internet, cookbooks AND my grandma - come up with what i feel is the easiest AND the tastiest way to prepare a truly versatile pork shoulder. you can literally use this in tacos one night, in pulled pork sandwiches the next and then serve it along side mashed sweet potatoes and a mess o’ greens on the third night. and what you don’t eat, you can freeze…what could be better? more pork, that’s what.

easiest pork shoulder
you need:

• 5 lbs pork shoulder 
• 5 t bbq rub, jerk rub or a blend of your favorite pork-friendly spices 
• 3 yellow onions, quartered

to prepare:

1. preheat your oven to 325. [if your oven temperature is unreliable, get an oven thermometer. because the pork will be in the oven for an extended period of time, you’ll want precise heat here so you don’t accidentally overcook it.]
2. plop the pork shoulder into a large dutch oven or other cooking vessel with a tight-fitting lid. sprinkle the rub all over the shoulder and rub in well.
3. place the onions around the pork.
4. pour water into the pot so that it covers the sides of the pork by a little less than 1 inch.
5. place lid on the pot and put in the oven.
6. cook for 5 hours then use a meat thermometer to make sure the meat has reached an internal temperature of 190 degrees. if it has, it’s finished! if it hasn’t, let cook a little while longer.

once your pork has finished cooking, let it cool a bit so you can handle it. at this point you can shred it, cut it or otherwise prepare it for serving. the onions will be melty-soft and make an incredibly tasty addition to tacos.

pack whatever pork you don’t eat into fridge containers OR freezer containers…keeping in mind that you can keep the pork in the fridge for 3-ish days, depending upon the freshness of the shoulder when you brought it home.

so easy. and so versatile. and so delicious. pork! shoulder!