Shoulder

Shoulder roasts come from the upper shoulder while picnic roasts come from the lower shoulder.

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Although shoulder meat is tough, slow cooking it over low heat makes it more tender.
Many types of boneless and bone-in roasts are available in the meat section. Some roasts are cut from the end of the ribs, others from the middle of the loin as well as from the back of the sirloin. These pieces of meat are usually roasted uncovered in the oven, but they can also be braised.
After searing the roast in oil, cook it uncovered in a bit of liquid. Only the picnic shoulder roast should be slow-cooked, because the meat is tougher. For example, picnic shoulder is a great cut for pork roast with potatoes.
The shoulder is also used to make the popular dish of pulled pork.

Availability

Shoulder roasts are popular in Quebec and can be found in any grocery store.

Cooking method	Instructions
On the stove	Heat oil in a pot set over medium-high heat. Brown meat on all sides. Add broth. Cover and simmer over low heat for 2–3 hours. Add broth as needed while cooking. Remove meat and shred with a fork.
In The Oven	Place oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 120 ^oC (250 ^oF). Heat some oil in an oven-safe pot set over medium-high heat. Brown meat on all sides. Cover meat with broth. Cover and bake for 6–8 hours, depending on the size of the shoulder, or until meat falls apart easily.
On the BBQ	Preheat BBQ to high. Wrap shoulder in foil and cook over indirect heat, lid closed, for about 4 hours, or until internal temperature reaches 71 °C (160 °F).
Slow cooker	Place the meat in the slow cooker and cover with broth. Cover and cook 8–10 hours at low or 4–5 hours at high.
Pressure cooker	Place pork shoulder in pressure cooker. Add broth (this cut requires a large amount of liquid). Close and program the pressure cooker to the meat setting, then set cooking time to 60 minutes. Let the pressure cooker depressurize naturally and remove lid.
Sous vide	Place shoulder in a sous vide cooking bag and season to taste. Remove air from bag. For pulled pork, set the thermocirculator to 63 ^oC (145 ^oF). Once the water has reached the desired temperature, immerse the bag in the water and leave to cook for 1 hour 40 minutes to 18 hours (for maximum tenderness), depending on the size of the shoulder. Remove bag when cooking is complete.

Shoulder

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Availability

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