This braised pork shoulder recipe has it all. High flavor, low cost, and slow-cooked in the oven.
What could be better? All of these factors make it one of our favorite pork recipes.
This braised pork shoulder recipe is one of our many easy ways to make pork.
About this dinner
This savory Boston butt dinner will feed your family and guests for just a couple of dollars per serving. With lots of savory flavors and vegetables, it is the perfect meal for Sunday dinner or weeknight meals.
This braised pork shoulder recipe starts on your stovetop and finishes in your oven.
The different cuts of pork
This braised pork recipe uses the shoulder, which is the same cut as Boston butt. These are good cuts for making stew and other slow cooker pork recipes.
Pork shoulder and Boston butt are interchangeable terms for the same cut of meat.
How to braise food
We make this braised pork shoulder using a braising technique of cooking. Braising is a common way of preparing meat and vegetables that involves a combination of wet and dry heat.
When braising, meat is often seared first over high heat on the stovetop and then covered and slow-cooked in the oven at a reduced temperature. That's how we make this braised pork shoulder.
Braising often involves some "real cooking" techniques. We will get into that in just a bit, specifically with our use of tomato paste and flour, when making this deliciously braised pork shoulder.
How to make it
Take a 2 or 3 pound cut of Boston butt and cut it into six large chunks.
Now that we know a bit more about the various cuts of meat and have a better understanding of braising, it's time to make this braised pork shoulder!
Start by cutting up the meat into about six large chunks. If you have a piece of butt with the bone it, even better! The bone will add flavor and texture throughout the braising process.
Use a large Dutch oven and work in batches, sear the chunks of meat on all sides, over medium-high heat unit a golden crust develops.
This takes about 3 minutes. Then, set the seared meat aside.
Sweat a mirepoix in the Dutch oven for five or six minutes.
Now you will reduce the heat and use the same Dutch oven to sweat a mirepoix of carrots, onion, and celery. When sweating vegetables, the goal is to merely soften them without caramelizing them or making them turn brown.
Browning tomato paste will add depth and flavor to it.
After the mirepoix softens, add some tomato paste to the skillet and stir it around until it cooks for a few minutes and turns darker.
Pro Cooking Tip: Browning and cooking tomato paste will add depth and flavor to any recipe that uses it.
Cooking the flour for a minute or two takes away its raw taste.
Once your tomato paste is nicely caramelized, use a fine mesh strainer and sprinkle some flour into the bottom of the skillet and stir it around for a couple of minutes.
This is a great way to add flour to any recipe if you don't want it to clump. It works especially well for making a roux or gravy recipes! The flour will help add body to the braised pork shoulder and slightly cooking it first will take away the raw taste of the flour.
Add a cup or so of red wine and reduce it by half.[/caption]
Now we are starting to add some of the "wet" for the braising process of this recipe. I recommend a full-body red, like a cabernet sauvignon or a pinot noir. Are you starting to get a better idea of just how wonderful this dinner is going to taste?!
Add some beef broth, parsley, and bay leaves to the pot.
Finally, we are going to add some beef broth, a couple of bay leaves, and some parsley to enhance the flavor of this amazing dinner. Now, the only thing left to do is cover the pot, place it in the oven. And then wait.
Make this braised pork shoulder dinner for just a couple of dollars per serving.[/caption]
This braised pork shoulder is part of a recent night of family cooking at our house in town which also included a fried cabbage with a bacon side dish and German potato dumplings. We also serve this pork shoulder recipe with our incredible mushroom sauce.
May I just say that all three of these recipes get along quite nicely. Try this easy family dinner soon. It's perfect for fall, and your family will love it.
How can I use leftovers?
If you have any concerns about leftovers from this savory dinner, I suggest using them for a pot pie later in the week. We did not have that luxury. Our
Wondering how to make a similar recipe in your instant pot? Learn how to make Instant Pot Pork Roast with this easy and delicious recipe from a Pressure Cooker Kitchen!
Braising recipes
- Butter-Braised Radishes, Kohlrabi, and Brussels Sprouts
- Braised Savory Meatballs
- Braised Beef Stew
- Braised Garlic Chicken & Capers with Lemon-Anchovies Sauce
- Beef Bourguignon
- Easy Braised Beef
Easy pork recipes
- Savory Pork Wellington
- Smoked Pork Tenderloin
- Honey Pecan Pork Chops
- Harvest Pork Pan-Seared Pork Chops
- Roasted Pork Tenderloin with Fennel
- Juice Box Pork with Sweet Potatoes
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📖 Recipe
Braised Pork Shoulder
Ingredients
- 2.5 lbs Pork shoulder
- 2 tbsp Olive oil
- 2 tbsp Butter
- 1 Onion chopped
- 2 ribs Celery chopped
- 1 Carrot chopped
- 6 cloves Garlic chopped
- 1 tbsp Kosher salt
- fresh ground black pepper
- 3 tbsp Tomato paste
- 2 tbsp Flour
- 1 cup Red wine
- 2 cups Beef broth low sodium
- 1 bunch Parsley tied
- 2 Bay leaves
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350° F. Cut pork shoulder into five or six large chunks. Heat olive oil and butter in a large Dutch oven, over medium-high setting. Working in batches, sear the pork chunks on all sides until they have a light golden-brown crust. Remove pork and set aside.
- Reduce heat to medium and add onion, celery, and carrot. Sweat the mirepoix for about five minutes until soft. Add garlic and cook for another minute. Stir in salt and pepper.
- Stir in the tomato paste and cook for a couple of minutes until it starts to brown slightly. Then, sprinkle the flour in the pan and cook it for a couple of minutes as well. Add the red wine and cook to reduce slightly. Return the pork chunks to the Dutch oven.
- Add enough beef broth until it reaches the top of the pork but does not cover it. Add parsley and bay leaves, cover the Dutch oven and place in oven for three hours or until fork tender. Allow the meat to rest for five minutes and then serve.
Video
Notes
- Discard parsley and bay leaves before serving.
- If you're not a fan of pork, try an inexpensive cut of beef in this recipe instead. Braising takes tough meat and tenderizes until it's soft and delicious!
Danielle
This is a go to recipe! The whole family loves it!! Super easy to make and not to big of a mess.
Sophie
Hi,
Can I replace the pork shoulder for pork tenderloin?
Dan from Platter Talk
Yes but you probably won't have to cook it as long.
Melissa
I have not made this yet but I am concerned about the amount of fat that would be in the final dish, pork shoulder is quite fatty even after removing large slabs. Any input or thoughts on this are appreciated.
Dan from Platter Talk
If you're concerned about the amount of fat on the pork butt you can trim it. However, the fat will add a lot of flavor to this dish without making it greasy. Unless you but a piece that is exceptionally fatty, I would braise it as is, according to the recipe.
Ashley
I ended up freezing some of this. It still tastes delicious, but I'm having a hard time finding something to pair it with. Any suggestions?? It doesn't have much sauce left just the meat. It's too delicious to throw away though. Help! 😊
Dan from Platter Talk
Hi Ashley! Thanks for the great question. It prompted Scott and me to have a lengthy conversation about the possibilities for using these leftovers. He suggests allowing it to thaw overnight and then reheating/reconstituting with some broth. Serve it with some veggies and make another meal of it. I take a slightly different approach. You can make leftover pork tacos with it or even toss in some BBQ sauce and slow cook it into some type of pulled pork sandwich. Either way, DO NOT throw it out!!! I'm glad you enjoyed the original dish and I can't wait to see what you do with the leftovers! Thanks for the question and thanks for reading Platter Talk. Please don't hesitate to reach out to us for any special requests or any other questions, comments, or feedback. -Dan
Liz
Along with a few added ingredients, this would also make a great filling for enchiladas, Banh Mi, or the meat component for a pot of posole. Or you could dice it up and fry it up into a hash with potatoes and onions with an egg on top. The possibilities for leftover pork shoulder are endless.
Leah
We served this with polenta and it was to die for! I’m sure pasta or roasted potatoes would be lovely too.
Brian Mason
I made this recipe last night for my lady and I and I must say it was absolutely amazing. What a way to make an inexpensive cut of meat into a gourmet meal. I did change a few things because I did not have all the ingrediants. I did not have fresh parsley so I substituted with some italian seasoning which added a nice italian kick to the taste. I also added 2 cherry bomb peppers which we grew last season and it added a little heat to the party. I also used chicken broth because I didn't have beef broth. I figured chicken goes with pork so gave it a try. Was not an issue. The one thing I did wrong was covered all the pork with the broth but did only add 2 cups as per the recipe. I was using a 3 quart dutch oven so was a little tight. That said it turned out amazing. My gal was impressed and happy wife makes a happy life. Thanks for the great recipe!!
Zane
WOW!!!! I have to say thank you from the bottom of my heart for sharing this recipe with us! This dish is definitely one to serve a King!! The recipe was easy to follow, which I did. It turned out beyond amazing I will be making this dish for years to come!
Thank you again so very much!!
Sincerely, Zane
Donna
Made this for dinner the other night. I made the cabbage recipe suggestion too and completed the meal with boiled and then buttered gold potatoes. It was so tasty and delicious!
I pinned this recipe as one of my favorites and recommend others to make the Braised Pork Shoulder recipe their favorite too. There is NO WAY you could possibly be disappointed - it's a fool proof step-by-step recipe and the results are fabulous!!
So, so good!!
Dan from Platter Talk
Hi Donna, we're so happy you enjoyed this recipe, and thank you for sharing it on Pinterest! Thanks for taking the time to give us your kind feedback.
Jennifer
What can you use if you don't have a Dutch Oven?
Thank you! This looks so good!
Dan from Platter Talk
Hi Jennifer. You can use any oven-safe skillet, such as a cast-iron skillet or a metal oven-safe skillet. You just need to be able to over it while in the oven. If you don't have an oven-safe skillet with a cover, try using aluminum foil as a cover. Good luck with this braised pork recipe!
Jeannie
First time ever to cook a pork roast. The family loved it, juicy, tender, tasty!! It goes into “my defiantly will cook many more times” file. Thanks so much!
Dan from Platter Talk
Jeannie, We're happy you like this pork shoulder recipe! Thanks so much for the great feedback and we hope you'll try more of our food ideas.
Erin
Love this recipe! This is my second time making it this season and both times my family and I have been very satisfied (and full!) The first time I did use more beef broth, but that's the only change I've had to make!
Dan from Platter Talk
Erin, Thanks for the great feedback! Our family really enjoys this pork shoulder recipe too.