Pork Week!

I slow-cooked a pork shoulder this week. I love pork shoulders; they are cheap (about $1.50 a pound when they're on sale) and they are great in the slow-cooker. They have a high fat/moisture content, so you can put it in the slow cooker set on low in the morning, with absolutely nothing else, and come home ten hours later to a hunk of meat completely submerged in liquid. Drain all that off, and it shreds very easily.

(Note: pork shoulders are normally sold in the supermarket labeled as either 'picnic shoulder' or 'Boston butt' or maybe just 'butt'. They are slightly different cuts, but essentially the same thing. And not, it's not the butt, since that is the ham--the name has something to do with the kinds of containers they used to be shipped in.)

The only problem is that pork shoulders are very large--normally about 7-10 pound, and they yield several pounds of cooked meat. So, the problem is what to do with all that shredded pork. And it's not that big of a problem, because you can do just about anything with it.

I like to add some salt and pepper and two tablespoons of liquid smoke, and you'll end up with a lot of very versatile meat. If I know I am going to be doing a lot of Mexican, I'll also throw in some green chilis, some cumin and maybe a little onion powder, but sometimes it's better to just go basic and then add spices later.

So, what did I do with all this pork?

Barbecue sandwiches

This is the easiest and most obvious. Stir up some shredded pork with home-made or bottle barbecue sauce, serve it on buns, and you have a very happy family. I always reserve some extra pork-with-barbecue since it makes a great lunch, as well.

Pork quesadillas

I took about a pound of pork and added two teaspoons of chili powder, a teaspoon of onion powder, two teaspoons of cumin and a half cup of water, and simmered it for a few minutes.

I then took some corn tortillas, the little kind (I despise flour tortillas, and don't know why they are so much more popular in the U.S.--nothing beats the flavor and texture of corn tortillas, and they are healthier, as well). I heat one side over medium high heat for half a minute, flipped it, and then put a big spoonful of the simmered pork, a bit of jarred salsa, and then some colby/Monterrey jack cheese. I then folded over the tortilla, let it cook for just a bit, and flipped it a few times until the cheese was totally melted.

It can be time-consuming to make all these, but it's easy, and fun. Everyone loved them and I was requested to make them again for a midnight snack, and then again for dinner the next night. So, I am pretty confident they weren't just being nice.

Pork fried rice
This is so easy for how good it is. It makes a lot and the leftovers are great.

I mixed two cups long-grained rice with a cup and a half of chicken broth, a quarter cup of soy sauce, and frozen 'stir-fry' vegetables (this one had carrots, onion, red pepper, and broccoli; I added a little frozen corn, as well). Heat to a boil and then cover and simmer for 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, I lightly beat three eggs and cooked them in a skillet, chopped them up and set them aside.

I then heated about a pound of the shredded pork in a very large pan, enough the let the fat melt and the meat to get a little greasy again. I also added some black pepper. I then added in the cooked rice and veggies and stirred them thoroughly until it was heated through and starting to dry out, just a few minutes. Then mix in the eggs and serve.

So, that's what I have done so far...and I still have a little left from that $11 worth of pork shoulder. Any more ideas?