Pork Shoulder and all it's Glory

This week pork shoulder was on sale at the grocery and I am not one to deny the pig. When you are shopping on a budget and trying to get the most out of your food, pork shoulder is the way to go. Our family got 3 delicious meals out of this pork shoulder.
The best way to cook this piece of meat is low and slow. I use a Dutch oven but a crock pot works just as well. Rinse your pork, score it on the fat side, and place it in your pot. I season mine with plenty of salt, cumin, oregano, and pepper. I also add in one diced onion, some minced garlic, and one bunch of fresh cilantro. Add in about 1 inch of water to the bottom of the pot. If using a Dutch oven place in the oven at 325 degrees for 3 1/2 to 4 hours. For a crock pot cook on high for about 5 hours. You want your pork to be fork tender so you can easily shred the meat.

The first night we basically turned our kitchen into our own Chipotle. I made some cilantro rice, heated up some black beans (yes from a can!), cut up some cherry tomatoes, sliced avocado, and topped with shredded Monterey jack cheese and sour cream. I also had some flour tortillas and salsa verde out. It was perfect. My boys made their own tacos and I made my own burrito bowl! Kids seem to eat more when they feel they made their own food.





The second night I took some of the shredded pork, placed it in a bowl and added 1 cup of Herdez salsa, 1/2 cup Herdez salsa verde, the left over black beans, 1/2 cup shredded Monterey jack cheese and mixed it all together. I placed the mixture in a casserole dish and topped with corn muffin batter. Just use your favorite corn muffin mixture and follow the directions on the box. I always add in sweet corn from a can to my corn bread. Once you top your casserole with the corn muffin mix, bake at 400 degrees for 25 minutes or until the muffin mix is cooked through.
This meal was perfect for our cold weather. I used up all my leftovers from the night before and it was such a good hearty meal.

Lastly we made our absolute favorite breakfast. My husband and I used to frequent this charming Hawaiian café in San Diego called Lelani's. They had this dish the Ono Kahlua, it's like corned beef hash and eggs but the Hawaiian version and so much better! Every time I cook pork shoulder I recreate this dish for my husband. He loves it and you know ladies the way to a mans heart is through his stomach! All you do is cook some rice, place your rice on a plate and top with some warmed up shredded pork shoulder. Then fry up 2 eggs any way you like (we like ours sunny side up, the yolk just adds this extra sauce..mmmmm) place your eggs on top of the pork and that's it. Serve it with soy sauce and hot sauce! Best breakfast ever!






There you have it, Pork 3 ways! It may take a few hours to cook this pork but the end result is 3 easy and delicious meals that will get you and your family through the week!