Roast Pork
This method will provide a quick and easy way to roast sliced pork shoulder. The pork is cut into 1 inch by 1 inch strips to shorten cook times and to improve flavor by allowing a large surface area for sauces and rubs. This method is derived from the process used to make Char Siu pork and is adapted to allow for dry rubs and thicker sauces/glazes.
Cutting the pork into strips allows the finished pork to be stored and reheated easily. It also makes for a versatile protein which can be added to a variety of meals. Dicing the pork into small cubes and frying it up in a pan works well for dishes like stir fried rice while cutting it into long slices works well for tacos or salad.
I have included a few options for flavors, but this recipe is not limited to the ones listed here. It works well with any pre-prepared sauces like BBQ, Char Siu, Teriyaki, etc. and can also be used with any dry rubs you like. Typically, I will keep the flavor choices fairly simple to give myself room when I am cooking my finished meals to make adjustments. Most of the stronger flavors can be added when the pork is reheated with little negative impact. I usually go with either salt, pepper, and garlic powder or Lawry’s Seasoned Salt.
Here is what you will need:
Tools
Sheet Pan and rack
The rack is not necessary, but is preferred to allow for better air flow around the pieces
Aluminum foil
Also not necessary, but make cleanup significantly easier
Bowl or container
Something large enough to mix the sauce/rub and the pork pieces. If you don’t have a bowl or container, a ziploc bag can also be used
Cooking Tongs
I prefer tongs for this since they are easy to use, but anything that can be used to flip the pieces will work. If your kitchen is sparse, two forks will do the trick.
Basting Brush
Not necessary, but is essential if you want to glaze the pieces. I personally brush my pieces every time I make this.
Knife
Any knife will technically work, but a larger chef’s knife will make cutting the pieces a lot easier. A small paring knife or utility knife will also make trimming the fat easier.
Ingredients
Pork Shoulder (I guess this one is pretty obvious)
Flavor of choice (either a sauce or dry spices)
Sauces: Using a syrupy sauce on this will typically yield a good end result. Sauces with a bit more sugar (like Teriyaki or Char Siu) will char in the oven which improves the flavor of the pork. The only reason not to go with a sauce is to allow for more versatility in how you use the pork since sauces tend to dominate the final dish.
Spices: You can really pick whatever flavor mix you like on this as long as you don’t go too heavy on the salt. General rule of thumb is 1 tsp of salt per lb of meat. If you prefer not to measure (I usually don’t for this), a light coating on all the pieces is usually about right.
If you are using dry spices, you will need some type of oil to help things stick to the pork.
Basting Sauce
This isn’t necessary, but is highly recommended. If you are using a sauce, use that to baste the pieces. If you went with a dry spice mix a solution of 1 part honey and 1 part water is a good go-to
Cooking Method
Pat down your pork shoulder to remove any excess liquid from the surface.
Trim as much fat as you feel necessary off of the pork shoulder. I like to trim most of the fat cap that typically comes on the cut, but don’t worry about trimming it all off.
Cut the pork shoulder into 1 inch by 1 inch strips and move into a metal bowl. Make sure to leave room in the metal bowl to allow for mixing the pork without worrying about it falling out.
Add your sauce or spice mix of choice.
For sauces, add them directly to the bowl and mix with your hands. Add enough sauce to cover all the pieces, but don’t worry about adding too much. Excess sauce will typically slide off the pieces as you place them onto the sheet pan
For spices, add a light coating of the dry spices and a bit of oil to the bowl. Mix thoroughly until all pieces are evenly coated
Roast in the oven at 425F (220C) for 15 minutes
Remove from the oven, baste both sides of the pieces and return to the oven for 15 minutes. It is best to make sure all pieces have been flipped (especially if not using a rack).
Remove from the oven, baste both sides and return to the oven for another 10 minutes (again, it is best if the pieces are all flipped so that each side is getting evenly roasted)
If you’d like, you can stop the cooking at this point (jump to next step). If you would like a bit more char on the pieces, raise the temperature of the oven to 450F (235C), baste the pieces once more and cook for 5 minutes.
Pull the pieces out of the oven and let them cool.
If eating the pieces right away, cover loosely with foil and let rest for about 10 minutes before cutting into the pieces (cutting too early will make the pieces a bit drier)
If batch cooking, let the meat cool for at least 30 minutes prior to storage.
Storage Options
For short term storage (<1 week), a ziploc bag or well sealed container is more than enough.
For longer term storage, freezing the pork is a good option. There are a few good methods for doing this
Quick Freezing: Place the pork pieces on a baking sheet with a bit of space in-between each piece and place directly into the freezer for a few hours. This will freeze the outside of the pieces and will allow you to put them into a single freezer bag or container without having to worry about the pieces sticking together.
Vacuum Sealing: This method is best for long term storage. I will usually go with this personally and will store 2 servings of pork per bag (one for me and one for my wife). This makes cooking our meals easy since all you have to do is pull out a single bag anytime you cook. I find that 2-4 oz. of pork per person is a good amount.
Ziploc Freezer Bag: If you don’t have a vacuum sealer, but like the idea of freezing individual portions. Your best bet is to use either a straw to suck out the air from the bags and seal or to use a water bath to help push out the air (These are both hard to describe without visuals, watch my video at 3:40 for a visual)
Reheating
There are a few different ways to reheat the pork depending on what your end goal is and what storage method you have been using.
For frozen pork, you will first need to defrost the meat. The easiest way to do this is by defrosting in the fridge overnight. If you need the meat quicker, defrosting on the counter in a bowl of cold water works as well (should take around 30 min). If you are reheating the pork in the oven, you can put the frozen pieces in directly and will need to add 5-10 extra minutes to warm the meat through.
Once the pork is defrosted, you can start thinking about how you would like to integrate it into your meals
In a pan: Dicing the pork and reheating in a pan is a nice way to reheat the pork and gives you a good opportunity to add some additional flavor. Heat a pan over medium heat with a bit of oil and crisp up the pieces for 5 minutes. Add a sauce once the pork is cooked to your liking and pull off the heat. The residual heat in the pan will thicken up the sauce and help it stick to the pork pieces
In the oven: Reheating the pork in an oven is a nice hands off way of prepping your protein. Preheat the oven to 350F and heat the pork pieces for about 10-15 minutes until heated through. This can also be done with frozen pieces if you add another 5-10 minutes to the cook time.
