braised pork shoulder
👨🍳 Chefy Tip: Pat the pork completely dry — surface moisture kills crust. Brown on all sides in a hot, dry pan before anything liquid goes in. When you add wine, scrape the fond hard and let it reduce fully before adding the pork back. The braising liquid should barely cover the meat — too much and you're stewing, not braising.
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Ingredients
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Preheat oven to 325°F.
Pat pork shoulder completely dry. Season all over with salt, pepper, and smoked paprika.
Heat olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Sear pork on all sides, 3-4 minutes per side, until deeply browned. Remove and set aside.
Reduce heat to medium. Sauté onion for 4 minutes until softened. Add garlic and cook 1 minute more.
Pour in white wine and scrape up any browned bits from the bottom. Cook for 2 minutes.
Add chicken broth, thyme, and rosemary. Return pork to the pot — liquid should come about halfway up the meat.
Cover tightly and braise in the oven for 2.5 to 3 hours until meat is completely fork-tender and pulling away from the bone.
Rest for 15 minutes before pulling or slicing. Skim fat from braising liquid and serve as a sauce.
Pork shoulder contains a high concentration of collagen, which breaks down into gelatin during long braising — this is what gives the braising liquid its silky, sauce-like consistency. The Maillard reaction during searing creates over 1,000 flavor compounds that cannot be achieved any other way.