Chinese Braised Pork Shoulder - Recipe by Cooks and Kid (2024)

FAQs

What makes pork shoulder tender? ›

With that in mind, slow cooking is the name of the game for pork shoulder. Once the fat and tissues break down, the meat is melt-in-your-mouth tender and incredibly flavorful.

Chinese Translation. 猪肩肉 Zhū jiān ròu. More Chinese words for pork shoulder. 肘 noun.

During the braising process that fat melts, keeping the meat moist, unctuous, and flavorful. But pork shoulder also features a thick layer of fat on one exterior side. If the pork shoulder is rind- or skin-on, that fat is located under the skin, otherwise it will be apparent on one side of the cut.

Pork shoulder is one of the most flavoursome parts of the animal. It has a good layer of fat on the outside and internal marbling which makes it very forgiving to cook and stops it from drying out.

Pork shoulder benefits from long, slow cooking that tenderizes the meat and melts the fat. The best cooking methods for pork shoulder are braising or stewing, but it may also be fried, baked, or made into ground pork.

Unlike the more lean tenderloin and chops, pork shoulder is an incredibly forgiving cut of meat. It becomes more tender as it cooks and benefits from a lengthy cook time, so even if it stays on the heat a few minutes too long, you won't suddenly end up with something dry or rubbery.

In Chinese cooking, proteins like beef, pork or chicken are velveted first before stir-frying them. There are several ways to velvet, but at its most basic level, it involves marinating meat with at least one ingredient that will make it alkaline. This is what tenderizes the meat, especially cheaper, tougher cuts.

If it's ground pork, it might be as the result of using/adding minced ginger and the resulting interaction with pork tends to make it a slightly pink hue. If it's traditional char siu(BBQ Chinese roasted pork), it's the combination of seasonings and spices (hoisin sauce, honey, five spice powder and red food dye).

However, if the pork is cooked too long, it may become dry and hard instead of tender. When the internal temperature of the meat reaches 210 degrees F or more, the muscle fibers become tougher, and the meat becomes dry and chewy.

What liquid to cook pork shoulder in? ›

Pour 1 1/2 cups liquid, such as low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth, tomato juice, light or amber beer, white or red wine, orange juice, or a mix of several liquids (and optional liquid smoke) over the pork. The pork should be only partially submerged, with some of the pork remaining above the surface of the liquid.

Best of all, it's packed with protein and nutrients to boot.

Both pork and beef are high in proteins, fats, vitamins, and minerals. However, beef tends to have more calories, saturated fat, and cholesterol than pork. Pork may be a better choice, then, if you're trying to manage your blood cholesterol levels.

Does pork shoulder get more tender the longer it cooks? Yes pork shoulder requires more time to cook to get more tender as it is relatively tough to cut meat layered fat from the porks shoulder area. Pork shoulder needs to cook at low and slow flame for hours to get tender and juicy.

Pork butt is a cut of meat that comes from the shoulder of the pig and has a high fat content, while pork shoulder also comes from the shoulder but has more muscle.

Overnight tenderising

If you have the time, try mixing sea salt and sugar in a bag and rub it over the pork before leaving it in the fridge overnight. Make sure you rinse it off thoroughly before putting it in the oven with the spices of your choice or you'll have super-saline meat, and not in a good way.

How do you make pork soft and tender? Soak your pork in a salt-based brine before cooking it using your desired method. Pork chops need to soak between 12–24 hours, an entire pork tenderloin needs to soak for 6–12 hours, and an entire pork loin requires 2–4 days of soaking.

Using a brine or a marinade will make your life so much easier. If you're not confident in your cooking skills, there is one foolproof way to guarantee your pork ends up on the tender side, even if you cook it too long: Soak it in a brine or a marinade.

As pork ages at refrigeration temperatures after processing, enzymes in the muscle break down structural proteins, a process known as post-mortem proteolysis. By disrupting muscle structure, meat becomes more tender and easier to chew through.