Old City regulars show how to prep a pork shoulder large enough to feed a CrossFit Games viewing party
By Kara Sax and Justin Britanik
Sunday will mark the final round of the 2016 Reebok CrossFit Games—and that has us organizing an exciting tailgate, Old City style: one with a big, primal cut of meat. All are welcome at Old City starting at 7 pm to watch the final event of the CrossFit Games—and spoiler alert: The real star of the show may well be a humble pork shoulder.
For our money, there’s nothing better. It’s great for feeding a crowd, or simply for stocking the fridge with leftovers. Over the course of a few days, we’ll turn that one cut of meat into pulled pork sandwiches, tacos, lettuce wraps, and whatever else we can dream up after a WOD. Preparation is easy, too—because a pork shoulder is a perfect excuse to break out the slow cooker, even during the summer!
Our favorite preparation comes from Michelle Tam’s and Henry Fong’s cookbook, Nom Nom Paleo: Food for Humans
- 3 slices bacon
- 1 pork shoulder (approx. 5lbs)
- 5 garlic cloves
- 1 ½ tbsp. coarse Alaea Hawaiian sea salt
You can find a pork shoulder or pork butt at Harvey’s Market at Union Market, or Union Meats at Eastern Market. If you can get one with the bone in, do it! A ton of flavor is hidden in the bone, and we really taste the difference.
Prep your pork by making a half-dozen or so small incisions in the meat, and stuffing them with the garlic cloves. We slice the garlic into thick chunks so we can spread them throughout the pork, but it’s totally up to you how you want to do it. Sprinkle your Hawaiian salt all over your pork and give it a good rubdown. If you don’t have the pink Hawaiian salt, you can use any coarse salt. Just make sure it’s good and covered.
Now, why stop at “just pork,” when you can have “pork wrapped in wonderful, smoky bacon”? The next step is to line your slow cooker with that bacon, and then place your pork shoulder on top, skin side—or fat cap—up. That fat will drip down over your meat as it cooks, keeping everything tender and juicy.
Put the lid on, set it to low, and then go do something else for about 16 hours. (Hey, sometimes perfection takes time.) We like to start the pork on Sunday night, and let it do its thing while we sleep. When we wake up Monday morning, we’ve got delicious pulled pork, ready to take to work for lunch. No sad desk lunch here! The meat is done when it easily pulls apart with a fork.
Once it’s ready, transfer the shoulder to a separate dish before pulling it apart. We find that when we shred it in our slow cooker, sitting in the cooking juice leaves the meat too salty. You can always add some of the cooking liquid back to the pork to add a bit of seasoning.
Now you have plenty of pork for the week! We like to toss some with our favorite bbq sauce and make pulled pork sandwiches on sweet Hawaiian rolls. If you don’t eat bread, try lettuce wraps, or add some to your salad. We’ve even used the meat in omelets, on the rare occasion, there’s any left by the following weekend. The possibilities are endless!
And remember: If this recipe piqued your interest, come try some yourself Sunday! We’ll be gathering at Old City starting at 7 pm. Bring your appetite—and also a dish of your own to share. Our friends at Port City will handle the drinks! #itaintoldcitywithoutportcity
If you have any questions about preparing food that will prepare you for life, let us know in the comments. And we’ll see everyone Sunday (if not before…we typically go to CrossFit during the week at the 6 and 6:30 pm classes)!