First time cooking pork shoulder, please help me!

[Anonymous]

Bought a small pork roast this week and need a good easy recipe and cooking instructions please. I have a slow cooker and this seems a bit small to be cooking in one........I would prefer oven, but just want it to turn out tender and flavorful and well cooked most important. Thank you in advance if you've cooked one before and enjoyed it.

All the recipes I see are for 6 lbs.....There are only 2 of us! Smile

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Bought a small pork roast this week and need a good easy recipe and cooking instructions please. I have a slow cooker and this seems a bit small to be cooking in one........I would prefer oven, but just want it to turn out tender and flavorful and well cooked most important. Thank you in advance if you've cooked one before and enjoyed it.

All the recipes I see are for 6 lbs.....There are only 2 of us! Smile

Just looked again and it's actually 2.5 pounds not 1.

[Anonymous]

First are you sure that it’s a pork shoulder and not a pork loin roast? Seems small for a pork shoulder.

Assuming it’s shoulder, if you want to go Italian I’ve always enjoyed this recipe: https://lidiasitaly.com/recipes/roast-pork-shoulder-roast-vegetable-sauce/

For just two pounds I’d probably cut the high-temp roasting by 30% and get ready to pull it out earlier (use a meat thermometer).

This isn’t “fall off the bone” shoulder as written, but if you left it in for another hour at lower temp you’d get to that stage. The key for “fall off the bone” shoulder (like pulled pork) is to roast at low temperature (225-250F) long enough to get the internal temperature up to 220F, where the collagen starts to fall apart. For a full 5-8 lb shoulder that can take up to 8 hours of roasting, but for yours I’d guess just a few hours.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:First are you sure that it’s a pork shoulder and not a pork loin roast? Seems small for a pork shoulder.

Assuming it’s shoulder, if you want to go Italian I’ve always enjoyed this recipe: https://lidiasitaly.com/recipes/roast-pork-shoulder-roast-vegetable-sauce/

For just two pounds I’d probably cut the high-temp roasting by 30% and get ready to pull it out earlier (use a meat thermometer).

This isn’t “fall off the bone” shoulder as written, but if you left it in for another hour at lower temp you’d get to that stage. The key for “fall off the bone” shoulder (like pulled pork) is to roast at low temperature (225-250F) long enough to get the internal temperature up to 220F, where the collagen starts to fall apart. For a full 5-8 lb shoulder that can take up to 8 hours of roasting, but for yours I’d guess just a few hours.

Thanks! Yes. Whole Foods sold it as pork shoulder.

[Anonymous]

My favorite way to cook pork shoulder is in the slow cooker. Throw in some chopped onion and garlic, season with soy sauce (or salt), smoked paprika, and oregano, then add some braising liquid — wine, crushed tomato, and/or chicken broth — covering about 2/3 of the meat. Cook on low for 8 hours. Shred the meat with a fork and use in bbq pulled pork sandwiches, in birria tacos, in a ragu for pasta, etc. Strain the braising liquid and use it as a base for sauces for the aforementioned dishes. Also makes a delicious gravy when added to a basic roux.

[Anonymous]

2.5lb? It's likely a tenderloin, not a pork shoulder. Whoever sold it to you doesn't know meat cuts.

[Anonymous]

Pancit. Just don't leave it out on the counter for a day before serving it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:First are you sure that it’s a pork shoulder and not a pork loin roast? Seems small for a pork shoulder.

Assuming it’s shoulder, if you want to go Italian I’ve always enjoyed this recipe: https://lidiasitaly.com/recipes/roast-pork-shoulder-roast-vegetable-sauce/

For just two pounds I’d probably cut the high-temp roasting by 30% and get ready to pull it out earlier (use a meat thermometer).

This isn’t “fall off the bone” shoulder as written, but if you left it in for another hour at lower temp you’d get to that stage. The key for “fall off the bone” shoulder (like pulled pork) is to roast at low temperature (225-250F) long enough to get the internal temperature up to 220F, where the collagen starts to fall apart. For a full 5-8 lb shoulder that can take up to 8 hours of roasting, but for yours I’d guess just a few hours.

that’s a good recipe but I assume that at just 2 lbs, OP’s cut is boneless?

I’d probably just rub with salt, pepper and a little cumin and paprika, then put in the slow cooker brushed with some BBQ sauce (like 1/2-1 cup). That will make for some nice pulled pork sandwiches.

To your point about “fall of the bone” - I believe that is actually overcooked even for pulled pork! I recently followed a recipe that called for an internal temp of 210 and the pork was fully cooked and tender (and can be shredded), but much more juicy than when it is falling off the bone on its own.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:2.5lb? It's likely a tenderloin, not a pork shoulder. Whoever sold it to you doesn't know meat cuts.

No, you can get a smaller piece of pork shoulder. I definitely have.

[Anonymous]

This is tiny. Does it have fat / skin on it? Here is a really good recipe but you’ll need to adjust time since your piece is smaller. I do this for the bone in pork shoulder that is about 4-5 lbs with skin and it turns out amazing.
https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/aaron-mccargo-jr/simple-roasted-pork-shoulder-recipe-1923881

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Pancit. Just don't leave it out on the counter for a day before serving it.

[Anonymous]

Season it, wrap it in foil. Set your oven to 225, and forget about it for 12 hours

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This is tiny. Does it have fat / skin on it? Here is a really good recipe but you’ll need to adjust time since your piece is smaller. I do this for the bone in pork shoulder that is about 4-5 lbs with skin and it turns out amazing.
https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/aaron-mccargo-jr/simple-roasted-pork-shoulder-recipe-1923881

I actually really like this recipe for OP. so simple - just monitor the internal temp!