How to Cut Whole Pork ShoulderAre you confused at the meat counter when you want to buy pork for a stir-fry or Chinese BBQ pork (char siu––one of our most popular recipes)? We get questions all the time about what cuts of pork are best for Chinese cooking and which cuts make sense for different dishes.My quickest answer is: pork shoulder––specifically, the picnic shoulder.This humble, large cut of meat holds a wealth of diverse cuts perfect for grilling/roasting, stewing/braising, soup/congee, stir-fry, and ground meat.

In this post, we’ll talk about how to cut pork shoulder into different usable parts, and I’ll even show you the process in a video from start to finish!Why Pork Shoulder?The pork shoulder, also sometimes labeled “picnic ham,” “picnic shoulder,” or “picnic roast” at the grocery store, is one of the most versatile cuts of meat on the pig. More typical cuts, like center-cut chops, pork loin, and ribs are great, but pound for pound, a pork shoulder is going to give you more bang for your buck than any other cut out there. The best part is, these “picnic hams” are economical and widely available in supermarkets across the U.S.Wherever you are, you should be able to find it. People often use the picnic shoulder for things like pulled pork or a whole roast, but there is so much more you can do with it, especially in the Chinese kitchen! All it takes is a little elbow grease to break it down and package it up for your freezer.Total

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