Pork shoulder
Sus scrofa domesticus · Meat
Top 10 pairings
Cut from the pig's hard-working shoulder and upper foreleg, this well-marbled pork is tough and full of collagen. Long, slow cooking turns it meltingly tender. It goes into pulled pork, carnitas and char siu.
Picking a good onedrag
Freshly cut, greyish-pink, firmOff: tacky or slimy, smelling sour
Counter freshEveryday bestRoast, grill or braise. Mince needs 160°F (71°C). Don't rinse; that splashes bacteria.
ColourPink, a shade duller under lights
Touch the surfaceFirm and moist, nowhere tacky
SmellMild and clean, nothing sharp
These cues are Pork's, and hold across its cuts; where this one differs, its own page says so.