I have noticed that every few weeks we are roasting a pork shoulder. We season the shoulder with salt and let it air dry in the refrigerator for several days. We roast it in a an uncovered Staub Dutch oven at 250°F for about 6 hours. Then we let the meat rest for an hour in the pan. The first night we serve the shoulder as a roast, roughly carved and torn into. Then we let the meat cool, often in the roasting pan. The following day we scrape the fat that collected in the pan and the large pieces that cling to the meat. We slowly render them in a pot, creating cooking lard. We examine the remaining roast. When I say examine, Aki picks through and carves the meat into pieces destined for chili, meat sauce, and/or tacos. The pan drippings end up in one of those preparations. It's one economic and delicious piece of meat that feeds our mouths and our minds for several days.
Years Past
February 4, 2005
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