What's for Dinner Tonight? - All- Purpose Pork Shoulder

From Melissa d'Arabian's Ten dollar Dinners cookbook, this All-Purpose Pork Shoulder can be used many different ways. The pork is tender and delicious, and after making the basic recipe, you can turn it into completely different meals from Mexican to barbecue sandwiches and more.  Great for a family with a busy schedule.

All-Purpose Pork Shoulder

1 - 3 to 4 pound boneless pork shoulder (or 4-1/2 pound bone-in pork shoulder)
1 tablespoon sea salt
2 teaspoons ground black pepper
1 onion, roughly chopped
4 cloves garlic, finely minced or pressed through a garlic press
1/2 cup dry white wine

1. Rinse the pork, place on a cutting board, pat dry with paper towels and rub in the salt and pepper. Set the pork in the bowl of a slow cooker, scatter the onion over the pork. sprinkle in the garlic and add the wine. Cook until the meat easily pulls apart with a fork, about 5 hours on high or 8 hours on low.

2. Turn off the slow cooker and transfer the pork to a platter. Use two forks to shred the meat.


Options for using the pulled pork:

Pork Sloppy Joes

Sauté' onions and peppers until soft, add equal parts ketchup and barbecue sauce and the pork, and heap on warmed buns.

Pork Tamale Pie

Place the pork in a baking dish, toss with salsa and top with your favorite cornbread batter. Bake at the oven temperature instructed in the cornbread recipe until the cornbread is cooked through.
Pasta and Shredded Pork

Toss the pork with steaming-hot pasta, a little pasta water, some halved grape tomatoes and a spoonful of prepared pesto. Finish with grated parmesan cheese.

Pork Chili

Sauté' onions and peppers until soft, add chili powder and some chopped canned tomatoes, stir in some pork and canned or cooked dried beans and heat through.

Carnitas-Style Pork Tacos

Fry chopped jalapenos in some oil; add the pork, season with salt and brown until it's crispy around the edges (you can brown both sides if you like). Pile onto warmed corn tortillas and finish with a squeeze of lime.


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