A tasty pork shoulder with plenty left for sandwiches
(Food styling/Lisa Falso; Gretchen Ertl for The Boston Globe)
Pork shoulder, also called Boston butt, is a large, tough cut that turns fall-apart tender after long, slow cooking. This is the preferred cut of pit masters, who smoke the meat for up to half a day to turn it into shredded pork barbecue.
At home, take the same cut and braise or stew it, which melts the fat and keeps the meat moist. Use a big Dutch oven or a slow cooker. (For a slow cooker, brown the meat in the insert, if your model can do that, or in a skillet, then transfer to the insert; cook on low for 7 to 8 hours.) Pork’s versatility accommodates a variety of seasonings. Here, the meat is accented with fresh ginger and served with apples and dried figs. Pork also absorbs smoky spices such as cumin and chipotle pepper, even cinnamon, and Asian flavorings of soy and hoisin sauces and five-spice powder. A simple coating of mustard, garlic, and oregano works well, as does a lathering of your own or storebought barbecue sauce.
Pork shoulder is available boned and on the bone. Boned is often wrapped in netting to hold its oval shape. Keep the netting on throughout cooking, then snip it off later; that way you’ll get whole slices for the first night’s meal. For the second day, it doesn’t matter. The meat is shredded, chopped, or pulled into chunks for pulled pork sandwiches.
The sandwiches begin with the pork cooking juices mixed with your favorite barbecue sauce and turned into something spicy. While the sauce simmers, prepare the pork, add it to the sauce, and heat until hot. From there you need only soft buns, slaw, and hearty appetites.
