Most people believe that pork shoulder isn’t a good cut of meat due to its tough texture.
However, this list features 13 simple pork shoulder recipes that will prove even the most fervent critics wrong.
The recipes come from a wide variety of international cuisines such as Italian, Cuban and even Chinese.
I firmly believe you’ll find new and interesting ideas to incorporate this cheap and rather unpopular cut of meat into your diet.
13 Pork Shoulder Roast Recipes
Slow Cooker Pork Roast
Let the savory aromas of this pork roast fill your house while you leave the heavy lifting to your slow cooker.
The pork shoulder in this recipe is stewed in chicken broth along with potatoes, carrots and some fragrant herbs.
A single batch yields 6 servings which makes it ideal for family gatherings.
Check recipe at: Get Inspired Everyday
Puerto Rican Pork Roast
Pernil or Puerto Rican Pork Roast is a Latin American dish in which pork shoulder is roasted until it becomes fall-apart tender.
The meat is cooked in a mixture of sour orange juice and water, and seasoned with oregano, coriander and cumin.
You can serve it along with some roasted potatoes or use it to make Cuban Sandwiches.
Check recipe at: Chilli Pepper Madness
Crispy Slow Cooker Pork Carnitas
If you’re looking for taco filling ideas, then you’ll love this simple Pork Carnitas recipe.
It includes pork shoulder which is roasted in the slow cooker for a few hours and then finished under the broiler.
The meat is seasoned with chili powder, oregano, cumin and believe it or not a pinch of cinnamon.
This may sound like an odd combo, but it makes the meat taste heavenly.
Check recipe at: Basil and Bubbly
Easy Oven Roasted Pork Shoulder
This oven roasted pork recipe proves that you don’t need to have a slow cooker to make great pork.
It features pork shoulder which is marinated in a rosemary garlic marinade and roasted in the oven until tender.
You can eat the meat as is, use it as a taco filling or make sandwiches.
Check recipe at: Mom’s Dish
Braised Pork Shoulder
Savory, spicy and full of bold flavors, this Braised Pork Shoulder recipe is the embodiment of the perfect comfort food.
The meat is simmered in beef broth along with root vegetables, garlic, black pepper and parsley.
This dish is prepared in the oven, but you can also make it in your trusty slow cooker.
Check recipe at: Platter Talk
Mojo Pork
Mojo Pork is a traditional Cuban recipe which infuses the meat with citrus flavors and fresh herbs.
It’s extremely easy to make as all you need to do is roast the pork shoulder in your slow cooker and finish it under the broiler.
You can then use the meat as a filling for burritos, quesadillas or Cuban sandwiches.
Check recipe at: Foodie with Family
Slow Cooker Pork Shoulder and Gravy
This slow cooker recipe features shredded pork shoulder with gravy served over a canopy of mashed potatoes.
It’s made with only a handful of ingredients which means you won’t have to make any unnecessary trips to the grocery store.
All you need is some pork, potatoes, cream of mushroom soup, cream of chicken soup and some onion dip mix.
Check recipe at: Back to my Southern Roots
Asian Pulled Pork
This pulled pork dish features a variety of ingredients and seasonings typical for Asian cuisine.
More precisely, the meat is seasoned with 5-spice powder, gochujang and fresh ginger.
Even though the ingredients may be hard to find, they give this pork shoulder recipe its distinct flavor.
Check recipe at: Garlic and Zest
Brown Sugar Dijon Crusted Pork Roast
Sweet and tangy on the outside, and perfectly juicy on the inside, this Brown Sugar Dijon Crusted Pork must find its way into your kitchen.
This balance of flavors is achieved through a mixture of Dijon Mustard, brown sugar and honey which covers the top of the pork shoulder and insulates its inside.
Serve with some garlic green beans, mashed potatoes or glazed carrots.
Check recipe at: Bake it with Love
Instant Pot Pork Roast
This instant pot roast might not take an instant to make, but it will be an instant hit with your loved ones.
It features fall-apart pork shoulder braised in a rich gravy with potatoes and carrots.
The meat is seasoned with a simple dry rub of brown sugar, coarse salt, thyme, cinnamon and garlic powder.
Check recipe at: Fit Foodie Finds
Simple Stove Top Pork Roast
This Stove Top Pork roast blends a variety of simple ingredients simmered in a savory ragu sauce.
The ragu is prepared with red wine, onions, garlic, red wine and some fresh tomatoes.
It is then seasoned with fresh rosemary, thyme, parsley and bay leaves.
What I love about this recipe is that you can make it two days ahead of time without any loss in flavor.
Check recipe at: Chew Out Loud
Pork Porchetta
Pork Porchetta is a simple Italian recipe that features pork shoulder that’s rubbed with rosemary, thyme and garlic.
This creates a crusty and aromatic bark which helps the inside of the meat remain tender and juicy.
The thing that makes this recipe stand out is that the pork shoulder is butterflied and then rolled into a bundle.
Check recipe at: Just a Little Bit of Bacon
Succulent Roast Pork
One glance is all you need to fall in love with this Succulent Roast Pork.
It has a crispy crackling surface which is covered with a generous amount of fennel seeds, sea salt and olive oil.
And its inside isn’t any less flavorful either.
It’s perfectly juicy and tender in every single bite.
If you’re having trouble choosing a side for this dish, I recommend going with oven roasted potatoes.
Check recipe at: Mrs Foodie Mumma
How to properly thaw pork shoulder?
Most of the recipes on this list are made with fresh pork shoulder in mind.
This means that if you’re going to use frozen pork shoulder you’ll need to make sure it’s defrosted properly first.
You can do this either in the fridge or in a container filled with cold water.
I tend to avoid using the fridge as it can take more than a day and I just don’t have the nerves to wait that much.
Nevertheless, if you’re more patient than I am and you have enough time on your hands, you can defrost your pork shoulder in the fridge.
Anyways, thawing pork shoulder in cold water isn’t that complicated.
You simply need to submerge it in a container filled with cold water, change the water every thirty minutes and wait until it’s fully thawed.
The entire process should take you roughly 30 minutes per pound of pork shoulder.
You should also place the meat along with its original package to prevent color and flavor loss.
If you’ve removed it, then simply place the pork shoulder in a plastic air tight bag.
For more tips on defrosting pork shoulder, check this article.
Wrapping up
The recipes on this list are living proof that pork shoulder can be made tender if you cook it low and slow.
And you don’t even need to limit yourself to one cooking method. You can roast it in the oven, braise it with some vegetables or make it in your crockpot.
The choice is entirely up to you.
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