Mexican Braised Pork Shoulder Recipes

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Season the pork generously with salt and pepper, to taste, and let sit at room temperature for 30 minutes.
• Pat the pork dry with a paper towel. Heat a large Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot over high heat with 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil, 2 turns of the pan. Put the pork in the pot and evenly brown the meat all over, it will take about 10 to 12 minutes; remove the pork to a plate and reserve.
• Turn heat down to medium-high, and add the extra-virgin olive oil to the pot, a couple of turns of the pan. Add the onions and garlic, salt and pepper, to taste, the oregano, 1 sliced chili pepper and 2 bay leaves and cook for 7 to 8 minutes. Deglaze the pot with the beer, scraping up the bits stuck to the bottom of the pot. Stir in the chicken stock and orange juice. Add the reserved pork back to the pot (the liquid should come about 2/3 the way up the meat) and bring to a simmer. Cover and put the pork in the oven, turning the meat halfway through cooking, until the meat is very tender, about 2 1/2-3 hours. Remove the pork from the pot, to a cutting board and tent with foil to keep warm. When cool enough to handle, pull the meat apart with 2 forks.
• Simmer the braising liquid over medium heat until reduced by half. Add the chipotle and adobo sauce and the lime juice. Add about 2/3 of the shredded meat and stir. Cool the remaining shredded pork and chill for another use.
• While the pork is cooking, prepare the pickled red onions: in a small saucepot, bring the white wine vinegar, sugar, teaspoon of salt, remaining chili pepper and bay leaves to a simmer over low heat. Put the sliced red onions in a small sealable container. Carefully pour the hot liquid over the onions, cover and give it a shake. You may need to lift the lid to release some of the pressure. Every now and then, give it a good shake. Refrigerate to cool.
• To serve, put the chipotle pulled pork on a platter and garnish with pickled onions and pickled jalapeno slices. Serve with shredded cabbage, crumbled cheese and tortillas for wrapping.

Steps:

• Using a spice grinder, grind the coriander and cumin seeds until they are a fine powder.
• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
• Sprinkle the pork shoulder with the ground spices and salt, then tie each piece so they cook evenly.
• Coat a Dutch oven with olive oil and bring to a high heat. Brown the first pork on all sides. Remove the pork from the pan and reserve. Ditch the fat in the pan and give a few drops of new oil. Repeat with the second pork and remove.
• Lower the heat to medium and toss in the fennel and onions and season them with salt and a sprinkle of crushed red pepper. Cook the onions and fennel until they are soft and very aromatic, 7 to 8 minutes. Add the garlic and ginger and cook 2 to 3 minutes longer.
• Add the wine and reduce by half. Stir in the mustard and add the bay leaves and thyme. Return the pork to the Dutch oven and add stock to the pan until it comes halfway up the side of the pork. Add salt if needed. Bring the liquid to a boil, cover and put the Dutch oven in the preheated oven.
• After 1 hour, turn the pork over and add more liquid to the pan if the liquid level has gone down. Cover and return to the oven for 1 hour.
• Turn the pork back over and return to the oven without the lid and cook for 45 more minutes. The liquid should concentrate.
• Remove the pan from the oven, remove the pork and reserve for 15 minutes, tented with aluminum foil. Skim any excess fat from the pan and reduce the pan juices, if needed.
• Slice the pork and serve with onions, fennel and juices.
• Wine Pairing Suggestion: Pinot Grigio

Steps:

• Put all the ingredients in a wide 6-to 7-quart heavy pot (don't worry if the pork is not completely covered) and bring the water to a boil, skimming the surface as necessary. Lower the heat and simmer vigorously, stirring occasionally, until the pork is fork-tender and the liquid has completely evaporated, 1½ to 2 hours. Discard the orange pieces and bay leaves. If the liquid hasn't evaporated after 2 hours, transfer the pork pieces to a bowl and let the liquid continue to bubble away, stirring often, until it has.
• Preheat the oven to 450°F. Transfer the pork and fat to an ovenproof dish, if necessary, and brown the pork, uncovered, in the oven for 20 to 30 minutes. There's no need to stir.
• Carnitas keeps in the refrigerator for up to three days.

Steps:

• Generously salt and pepper the pork shoulder and let meat come to room temperature (about 2 hours) Preheat oven to 325°F.
• Add olive oil to a large, deep pan, Over medium-high heat, sear pork until brown on all sides; set aside.
• Dump excess oil from pan, leaving a coating of oil.
• Add onions to pan and sweat over low heat until translucent.
• Return pork to pan and add remaining ingredients.
• Cover and place in oven, and cook for 2 to 3 hours (internal temperature should be about 140-150°F) or cook on stove top for 2 to 3 hours over low heat.
• Remove pork from pan and let rest 10-15 minutes before slicing.
• Serve with a starch and vegetables.

Steps:

• Generously salt and pepper the pork shoulder.
• Let meat come to room temperature (2 hours) I would never, ever do this step, but some of you may feel comfortable.
• Preheat oven to 325*.
• Add olive oil to pan, sear pork.
• Let rest 10- 15 minutes.
• Drain excess oil from pan.
• Add remaining ingredients to pork.
• Cover and cook 2-3 hours until internal temperature reaches 140*- 150*.
• Let pork rest 10- 15 minutes before slicing.
• Fill flour tortillas with shredded pork, garnish with lettuce, sour cream, grated cheese, salsa, tomatos and black olives or garnish as desired.

Steps:

• Generously salt and pepper the pork shoulder; let meat come to room temperature, about 2 hours.
• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
• Add olive oil to a large ovenproof pan. Sear the pork over medium-high heat until very brown on all sides. Remove pork from the pan; let rest on a platter for 10 to 15 minutes.
• Leaving an even coating, drain excess oil from the pan. Add onions; sweat over low heat until translucent. Return pork to the pan; add remaining ingredients. Cover pan, place in the oven and cook for 2 to 3 hours or until the internal temperature reaches 140 to 150 degrees F. Let pork rest 10 to 15 minutes before slicing.
• Use as burrito/taco meat or you can serve with vegetables and potatoes.

Steps:

• Season pork with pepper and salt.
• Heat oil in large pot over high heat. Working in batches, cook pork in the hot oil until browned on all sides, about 5 minutes. Return all cooked pork and accumulated juice to pot.
• Season pork with bay leaves, cumin, dried oregano, and cayenne pepper. Stir in fresh orange juice, orange zest, and milk. Bring mixture to a boil over high heat; reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, until meat is fork tender but not falling apart, about 2 hours.
• Preheat oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C).
• Remove pork from liquid. Skim some fat from the pot to grease a baking dish. Transfer the pieces of pork to the baking dish. Drizzle about 2 more tablespoons of the floating fat over the meat. Season with more salt, if needed.
• Bake in preheated oven until pork is browned, about 15 minutes. Stir pork.
• Turn on oven's broiler. Cook pork under broiler until crisp, 2 to 3 minutes.