Pineapple braised pork shoulder

Braising meats is simple and delicious.  It is a great way to get a lot of flavor into your protein.  You typically only want to braise meats that are tougher cuts (for example, the shoulder, roasts, chicken legs, etc.).

Braising is a combination of moist and dry heat methods.  Usually you will sear the meat in a hot pan, then cover with a liquid (usually a stock) and cook at a low temperature for a few hours.  Pressure cooking and slow cooking are forms of braising.

For my braised pork I started out by breaking down the pork shoulder into manageable pieces.  Season the pork with salt, pepper, and a mix of your favorite chili powders.  After it has been seasoned let it sit at room temperature for a half an hour.  The meat will sear better if it has had time to loosen up.

In a hot pan, add canola or grape seed oil to barely cover the bottom of the pan.  Gently place your meat in the pan using a pair of tongs so you do not burn yourself.  Let the meat sear for a couple of minutes until it has a dark caramelized color then flip the meat and repeat the process until all sides of the meat are browned.

Remove the caramelized meat from the pan and place in your baking pan.  Sear carrots, celery, onions, and pineapple in the same pan that you cooked the pork in.  Keep turning every couple of minutes until the vegetables have a nice color.  Remove the pan from the heat and add the pineapple juice and add a few sprigs of thyme and rosemary.  Pour your pork stock over the vegetables, then transfer to the pork.  Make sure the liquid covers the meat completely and then cover with foil and place in the oven at 325 degrees.  Bake until it is fork tender all the way through.   This will take at least an hour (depending on the size of the pork it could take a couple of hours).

Once the meat is finished braising, discard the vegetables and strain off the liquid, saving a little to toss with the meat.  To serve, you can break the meat into portion sizes and serve with your favorite side dishes.  You can also shred it into a bowl with a fork with a little of the braising liquid and BBQ or teriyaki sauce for a sandwich or slider.

Once you master braising, a whole new world opens up and your meals will become much more exciting.  Have Fun Braising!!!