Which is better for braising...Boston Butt or Pork Shoulder?

[LaydeeBug]

and what are your favorite recipes? I am getting ready to be snowed in...I am ready, but would love some comfort recipes. Please share if you have any.

[pipoman]

1. Boston butt is pork shoulder.

It is the back part of the shoulder. Shoulder is good for braising. It does depend on what you wish to do with it. One of my favorites is allspice pork. Season your pork with salt, pepper. Sear the outside of the roast, then place in a roaster with some cooking sherry, throw in about 10 or 15 whole allspice. Roast covered on medium low heat 275 or so until internal temp of 190 2 to 5 hours depending on the size. Lower heat to 200 and hold covered for another hour. Let the roast stand, strain the liquid and drippings to get out the allspice, skim off the fat, add a couple cups of water, bring to a simmer, add some rue (oil and flour) to thicken, salt and pepper to taste. The pork will fork apart and serve with the gravy, mashed potatoes.

[kestrel91316]

2. Either one. Crockpot it to death with some onions and garlic, then

shred it and heat up with some barbecue sauce for tasty pulled pork sandwiches (serve on hard rolls). Cole slaw on the side, maybe some oven fries. And a beer.

[GoCubsGo]

3. I use it in chili verde.

Just search "chili verde" or "green chili stew". There are tons of recipes out there. The one I use is very similar to this one: http://www.cooks.com/rec/view/0,1648,153184-251199,00.html

I usually use fresh garlic, instead of garlic power, and I don't use the tomato paste. Also, instead of bacon drippings, I use begetable oil. I do all of the browning right in the stew pot. I'll remove the meat temporarily before I saute the onions and garlic.

I hope the snow doesn't turn out as bad as they're predicting it to be.

[pipoman]

4. A great suggestion

shoulder is perfect for chili verde, or pork chili. I am fortunate to work with sisters who are from Mexico. Long story short, they have been teaching me how to cook traditional Mexican dishes, these dishes are regional in the same way American comfort food is. I have not seen a recipe for chili verde which isn't mostly tomatillos. We serve chili verde regularly. We place husked tomatillos 5 to 1 tomatoes, a Serrano or jalapeno chili, just cover with water and bring to a low boil for 20 minutes. place tomatillos, tomatoes, chilies into the blender, strain through a colander or cone ricer (not a screen), then pour over a cubed pork shoulder roast and cook covered at 250-300 until the roast gets to 190-200. reduce heat and hold for 1 hour, remove any fat, skim the grease off, serve with fresh tortillas, beans and rice..delicious..I may try the green chili method described in your recipe.

[kestrel91316]

5. Oh, that reminds me of some good chile verde I had years ago in CO.

[Gormy Cuss]

6. We make chile verde with roasted poblanos, tomatillos, and cilantro

all blended together. A poblano will give it about the same heat as a serrano but with more chile flavor. I think the NuMex type pepper is more traditional-- NuMex AKA Anaheim or the mild, large green chiles that can be found canned under the Ortega brand.

I've seen chile verde recipes with no tomatillos -- it may be a regional difference. We've made them both ways and finally decided that a mixture of tomatillos and chiles without tomatoes was the right flavor for us. We brown the meat, then stew it in the sauce.

I'll have to try your oven-roasted version.

[flamin lib]

7. It's also good slow smoked.

Dry rub it overnight and cook in your smoker for 10-12 hours. Feed new wood chips on every 1 1/2 hours. Let it cool a bit and strip the meet off discarding any large pieces of fat. It's the classic pulled-pork from the Carolinas. Freezes well if you need to--we don't at our house as a whole shoulder only last about three days.

You can do it in the oven as well. Takes a bit of liquid smoke to get the flavor and it makes the whole house smell like a smokehouse, which may not be a bad thing. Set the temp at 250, wrap it in foil and go away for 10-12 hours.

And remember, if your lookin' ya' ain't cookin' so keep the door closed.