beer-braised pork shoulder

Season this pork simply, as indicated, and you can use it for a large variety of recipes such as BBQ or Pulled Pork Sandwiches, Carnitas, Pork Tacos, Pork Frittata, Pizza, or Pork Ragú on Pasta, adjusting the seasonings as needed. I like to let the meat rest in the braising liquid overnight before shredding it so I can skim off the fat, but you can do it the day the pork is cooked, too.

Yields about 5 pounds or 10 cups of meat after deboning and discarding fat and gristle.

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
2 tablespoons Savory Spices Bohemian Forest seasoning or similar combination of herbs and spices
8- pound bone-in pork shoulder-trimmed of excess fat
1 large onion cut into 1/8’s
2 large carrots cut into ¼’s
2 large stalks of celery with leaves cut into ¼’s
3 cloves garlic--peeled and left whole
32 ounces beer-- can sub a mixture of apple cider and broth
2-4 cups Low Sodium chicken or vegetable broth - may need the larger amount if the liquid cooks down too quickly as the meat braises
2 bay leaves

Instructions

PREP: Preheat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit and place rack in the lower third of the oven.
SEASON AND SEAR PORK: Add oil to an 8-quart Dutch oven and heat over medium-high heat. Mix salt, pepper, cayenne, and Bohemian Forest seasoning in a small dish. Rub spice mixture all over the pork. Brown pork on every side. You may have to hold the meat up with a large meat fork to brown the shorter sides. It should be well-seared and dark brown when you’re done.
ADD VEGETABLES AND LIQUIDS: Add onion, carrots, celery, and garlic in the pan around the meat. Pour in beer and add enough broth so the liquid comes halfway up the meat. Add bay leaves. Cover and bring to a simmer.
BRAISE FOR 6 HOURS IN THE OVEN: Put the covered Dutch oven into the oven and cook for approximately six hours or until meat is fork tender or falling off the bone. Turn pot around every hour or so and check every two hours to make sure the liquid still comes halfway up the meat. Add more broth as needed.
USE MEAT NOW OR COOL OVERNIGHT TO USE LATER: To use meat today, remove pork from braising liquid, and rest on cutting board until cool enough to handle. Strain braising liquid, saving solids or discarding as needed. Shred (pull) meat using two forks or your fingers and, adding strained braising liquid and/or BBQ sauce, use for sandwiches, BBQ, etc. (See other ideas below.) Discard bone, fat, and gristle. To use meat later, let meat and liquid cool in the Dutch oven for an hour or so and then cool completely covered overnight in the refrigerator. You can then remove the fat on top of the liquid and shred before using meat in recipe(s) of your choice.
Option: Heat unstrained broth and vegetables (after removing the pork from the pot) and purée into a gravy using an immersion blender or processed in batches in the food processor.
STORAGE: Store tightly wrapped in the refrigerator 3-4 days and in the freezer in covered airtight containers or heavy duty freezer bags for up to 3 months.

Notes

*Bohemian Forest seasoning includes crushed brown mustard seed, garlic, rosemary, black pepper, Mediterranean thyme, savory, parsley, lavender and sage.

Ideas for using the pork: For pulled pork, mix liquid (adding extra chicken stock if needed) back into pork, heat, and season as you like. Serve hot on buns with spicy pickles and slaw. For BBQ pork, mix a little liquid back into pork, along with BBQ sauce to taste, heat and serve hot on buns with pickled red onions and extra sharp Cheddar Cheese. For Hot Pork Sandwiches, grill buttered thick slices of sourdough bread on both sides, add shredded pork and ladle broth and vegetables (or gravy if you’ve pureed the broth) over all. Top with a generous amount of grated Parmesan cheese. For pork stew, salads, pork ragú on pasta, frittatas, tacos, etc., use as per your recipe directions. If freezing pork for later use, add broth or gravy or chicken broth to the containers to keep pork moist in freezer.