Pickled Jalapeño Verde Braised Pork Shoulder
This is my go-to effortless crowd-pleasing main. Braising a big hunk of pork shoulder really couldn't get easier than this.
Once you acquire a fairly hefty Boston butt, season it well, stuff some garlic cloves in it, give it a quick sear, add in a few aromatics, a jar of pickled jalapeños, some other canned pepper products for more flavor, and a whole bunch of bone broth. Then just bring it to a simmer, cover it, and braise it in the oven until the meat is falling off the bone. The pickled jalapeños pack an amazing flavor and acts as the acid to deglaze the pan and tenderize the meat. You can shred the meat and fry or broil it to use as carnitas or shred it straight into the braising liquid. Serve it in enchiladas, nachos, sandwiches, empanada filling, top a salad with it — or eat it as is with rice, like this Sour Cream + Onion Crispy Rice and some homemade (or not) tortillas. I like to finish it off with a concerning amoutn of fresh cilantro, diced fresh jalapeños, green onion, avocado slices, and lime juice — in other words, all the green things.
Pickled Jalapeño Verde Braised Pork Shoulder
Serves 8-12
Prep Time: 15 minutes | Cook Time: 3 hours
6-8 lb Boston Butt*
6 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed
Spice blend: 1 tbs. turmeric, 2 tsp. cumin, 2 tsp. coriander, 1/4 tsp. cinnamon, 2 tsp. chili powder, 3 tsp. onion powder, 3 tsp.. garlic power, 1 1/2 tbs. salt, 1 tbs. ground black pepper
Light olive oil or a neutral oil, for searing
1 12 oz. jar pickled jalapeños with pickling liquid
8 oz. canned diced green chilis
8 oz. canned poblano peppers
1 white onion, cut in half and then each half into quarters
2 bay leaves
Handful of cilantro stems, cilantro leaves picked off and saved for garnish
16 oz. chicken or pork bone both, plus more if needed — stock will work as well but won’t be as flavorful
Fresh cilantro, fresh diced jalapeños, sliced green onion, and lime wedges, for garnish
Preheat oven to 350ºF.
Remove pork shoulder from fridge 30 minutes before cooking. Mix the spice blend together and set aside. Cut excess fat off the fat cap, leaving a thin but distinguishable layer of fat. Pat very dry. Score the fat using a knife, being careful not to cut into the meat. Cut 6 small but deep slits spread out in the pork. Stuff the slits with the peeled and smashed garlic cloes. Coat and massage the spice rub into the pork shoulder covering every inch.
Heat a large dutch oven or braiser on the stove eover medium high heat. Add oil to lightly coat the bottom of the pan once hot. Sear the pork shouldder fat side down first until golden brown. Rotatee and sear briefly on each side to get a light golden brown color on all sides. Keeping the pork in the pot, now fat side up, deglaze the pan with the enire jar of pickled jalapeños. Add in the rest of the canned products, onions, bay leaves, the cilantro stems, and bone broth. The bone broth should go up about 2/3 the way of the meat. Bring to a simmer, cover, and place in the oven for 2 1/2 - 3 hours, until fork tender. Check every 45 minutes to see if you need to add more bone broth if it’s drying up too much, Remove the lid, turn the oven to broil to crisp up the top.
Remove from oven and let cool for a few minutes before shredding straight in the pot to save all the juices, or to get more traditional carnitas, shred out of the pot, broil the meat to crisp it up and reduce the braising liquid to serve with it. Remove the bone, cilantro stems, and bay leaves. Garnish with fresh cilantro leaves, fresh diced jalapeños, green onion, and lime wedges.
*If your Boston butt is too large to fit in your dutch oven, cut the sides off until you have a piece that fits. You can cut the sides into chunks and save it for something else or braise it separately.
