First time doing pork shoulder in the slow cooker. Is this too fatty?
Also, should I brine it overnight or is that pointless for slow cooking? One more thing, should I sear it before putting in the slow cooker?
by can_of_turtles
38 Comments
dietchaos
Fat is flavor. Just season it and throw it in there.
jomodomo32
I like to to a quick sear but it’s really a matter of preference. Like u/dietchaos said, the fat will make your final product delicious. Season it well and let it go low and slow for 8 hours.
DoctorHubris
Fat will render and turn to that lovely oil slick on top of what you make. Get a spoon or turkey baster and remove however much you want
MikeRizzo007
Low and slow and the fat turns into heaven.
zasinzoop
i usually sear unless im in a hurry but it really won’t make or break a dish, just adds a little flavor. i love pork shoulder with apples and kraut. i don’t trim the fat, i skim it off and make gravy with the fat and juice after it cooks.
can_of_turtles
Thank you all for the quick replies! Now I’m very excited.
MajorDopamine
Make carnitas
ColonClenseByFire
You can save yourself some time by cutting off some of the fat cap. There is enough intermuscular fat that it won’t affect the flavor and will save you some time trying to skim off the layer of rendered fat.
TemporaryLead8077
When the pork has a hunk of fat, like in the lower right corner, I cut it off and freeze it. It then gets used when the pork doesn’t have enough fat.
aigarcia38
Looks great to me!
LiquidDreamtime
Don’t brine it. Pork and Chicken, imo, seem to do better if you salt it after it’s been cooked slow in liquid. Otherwise the meat can be kinda dry, as it’s cooked in essentially a brine solution for too long,
Pack_Your_Trash
If you’re asking if the pork butt is too fatty that might mean pork butt is not the right cut for you. It is inherently an incredibly fatty cut. Pork chops and tender loin are lower fat.
Yes, still do an overnight dry brine if you can, but its less important with a slow cooker pulled pork. If you don’t brine it you will still want to add salt. A sear will add flavor, absolutely.
Other things that can help are acids, which is why pineapple and citrus are popular. That is also why mops sauce commonly includes vinegar.
I like to do chile verde by cubing it, doing a salt brine, searing the cubes, and then slow cook it with a verde. My wife makes it from scratch but I usually just get a tub of salsa from the store. Hers is better.
patty202
Not at all.
post4u
“Pork fat rules!”
-Emeril Lagasse
Large-Stretch-3463
If you think it is then trim some off. The longer it’s in the better. Just keep checking on it. You can always drain the fat off. When it falls apart when you stick a fork in it.. it’s done. Drain fat off immediately if it seems really oily.
ER_Support_Plant17
Sear sear baby!
A_Possum_Named_Steve
Even better than searing: Just slow cook it, then pull it from the juices and crisp it under the broiler.
giocondasmiles
No, it will be delicious.
AltruisticLeading889
it will work perfectly in the slow cooker
Happyclocker
This is THE perfect cut for slow cooking. The fat is the point. However, that assumes you want to take it all the way to shredding. For a pork roast, its up to you. A leaner cut might be more your preference. If its Ralph’s, i’m assuming youre im California. Is that really what they charge for pork shoulder/pork butt in Cali?
Bennilumplump
If you have the time, cool the entire crock after cooking and refrigerate overnight. The fat will rise to the top and gel. Discard what you want and reheat the crock. The leftover fat and juices will make a great gravy/sauce for the meat, which should shred easily. Serve with sauerkraut(add some of the juices) and mashed potatoes. I have been making this meal for years and it is always a favorite.
sigmus90
You don’t need a brine or a sear. Just remember to put it in fat side up. I HIGHLY recommend [this recipe](https://krollskorner.com/techniques/slow-cooker/slow-cooker-pulled-pork/#wprm-recipe-container-62137). It’s been spectacular the 5 or so times I’ve made it. A few notes to anyone using that recipe, though. Use 3/4 cup apple cider vinegar instead of 1 cup, and only cook it on the low setting. I don’t know why it gives an option for a high setting because the low is going to be more tender.
DD-DONT
I like to sear in cast iron, then sautee some onions and garlic in that skillet, deglaze with wine, and use those veggies in the roast.
katjoy63
Nooooo. This the perfect meat for that
You can always skim off the fat later
agoia
Lol nah that looks glorious
bofm_overflown
Oh this looks perfect! Fat is flavor. I did this for the first time a couple weeks ago and it turned out amazing. Throw it under the broiler for a few minutes after shredding if you like those charred bits. My father in law used to do a lot of competition BBQ and he even said it wasn’t too bad for a slow cooker.
ClitteratiCanada
No colour, no flavour Sear
PM_Me_Your_Deviance
The fat is fine.
>Also, should I brine it overnight or is that pointless for slow cooking?
I wouldn’t bother. Not unless you are trying to make ham or something.
>should I sear it before putting in the slow cooker?
Not required, but you can add some flavor that way, if you want. I don’t normally bother with pulled-pork, but I’ll do it sometimes with a beef strew.
PickleWineBrine
Carnitas
foxontherox
I feel like this is a hot take, but I never sear my meat before sticking it in the slow cooker- the whole point of the slow cooker is minimal effort, and I can’t taste the difference. 😁
HauntingPineapple90
Just right
Miserable-Ship-9972
I did that last weekend. I did Korean BBQ sauce, bag of pepper medley, hot sesame oil and fresh ginger, toasted sesame seeds and green onions and it was so damn good.
Popular-Oil8481
Fat is a good thing.
Burladden
Nothing is ever too fatty for a slow cooker.
Aggravated_Seamonkey
No, fat is where the flavor is.
imanpearl
I love those chunks of fat, I just made sure to kinda break it up and disperse it when I’m shredding the pork so that you don’t get any bites of pure fat
NEdistiller
Nevdr too fatty!
Academic9876
Just put your favorite rubs or spices in it and add a coke and let it cook on high in a crockpot for an hour and then turn it on low overnight. In the morning, drain the fat off and add some more Coca Cola and let it simmer on low all day. At dinner time, drain off the remaining fat and you will find it is easily pulled apart with a fork.
38 Comments
Fat is flavor. Just season it and throw it in there.
I like to to a quick sear but it’s really a matter of preference. Like u/dietchaos said, the fat will make your final product delicious. Season it well and let it go low and slow for 8 hours.
Fat will render and turn to that lovely oil slick on top of what you make. Get a spoon or turkey baster and remove however much you want
Low and slow and the fat turns into heaven.
i usually sear unless im in a hurry but it really won’t make or break a dish, just adds a little flavor. i love pork shoulder with apples and kraut. i don’t trim the fat, i skim it off and make gravy with the fat and juice after it cooks.
Thank you all for the quick replies! Now I’m very excited.
Make carnitas
You can save yourself some time by cutting off some of the fat cap. There is enough intermuscular fat that it won’t affect the flavor and will save you some time trying to skim off the layer of rendered fat.
When the pork has a hunk of fat, like in the lower right corner, I cut it off and freeze it. It then gets used when the pork doesn’t have enough fat.
Looks great to me!
Don’t brine it. Pork and Chicken, imo, seem to do better if you salt it after it’s been cooked slow in liquid. Otherwise the meat can be kinda dry, as it’s cooked in essentially a brine solution for too long,
If you’re asking if the pork butt is too fatty that might mean pork butt is not the right cut for you. It is inherently an incredibly fatty cut. Pork chops and tender loin are lower fat.
Yes, still do an overnight dry brine if you can, but its less important with a slow cooker pulled pork. If you don’t brine it you will still want to add salt. A sear will add flavor, absolutely.
Other things that can help are acids, which is why pineapple and citrus are popular. That is also why mops sauce commonly includes vinegar.
I like to do chile verde by cubing it, doing a salt brine, searing the cubes, and then slow cook it with a verde. My wife makes it from scratch but I usually just get a tub of salsa from the store. Hers is better.
Not at all.
“Pork fat rules!”
-Emeril Lagasse
If you think it is then trim some off. The longer it’s in the better. Just keep checking on it. You can always drain the fat off. When it falls apart when you stick a fork in it.. it’s done. Drain fat off immediately if it seems really oily.
Sear sear baby!
Even better than searing: Just slow cook it, then pull it from the juices and crisp it under the broiler.
No, it will be delicious.
it will work perfectly in the slow cooker
This is THE perfect cut for slow cooking. The fat is the point. However, that assumes you want to take it all the way to shredding.
For a pork roast, its up to you. A leaner cut might be more your preference.
If its Ralph’s, i’m assuming youre im California. Is that really what they charge for pork shoulder/pork butt in Cali?
If you have the time, cool the entire crock after cooking and refrigerate overnight. The fat will rise to the top and gel. Discard what you want and reheat the crock. The leftover fat and juices will make a great gravy/sauce for the meat, which should shred easily. Serve with sauerkraut(add some of the juices) and mashed potatoes. I have been making this meal for years and it is always a favorite.
You don’t need a brine or a sear. Just remember to put it in fat side up. I HIGHLY recommend [this recipe](https://krollskorner.com/techniques/slow-cooker/slow-cooker-pulled-pork/#wprm-recipe-container-62137). It’s been spectacular the 5 or so times I’ve made it. A few notes to anyone using that recipe, though. Use 3/4 cup apple cider vinegar instead of 1 cup, and only cook it on the low setting. I don’t know why it gives an option for a high setting because the low is going to be more tender.
I like to sear in cast iron, then sautee some onions and garlic in that skillet, deglaze with wine, and use those veggies in the roast.
Nooooo.
This the perfect meat for that
You can always skim off the fat later
Lol nah that looks glorious
Oh this looks perfect! Fat is flavor. I did this for the first time a couple weeks ago and it turned out amazing. Throw it under the broiler for a few minutes after shredding if you like those charred bits. My father in law used to do a lot of competition BBQ and he even said it wasn’t too bad for a slow cooker.
No colour, no flavour
Sear
The fat is fine.
>Also, should I brine it overnight or is that pointless for slow cooking?
I wouldn’t bother. Not unless you are trying to make ham or something.
>should I sear it before putting in the slow cooker?
Not required, but you can add some flavor that way, if you want. I don’t normally bother with pulled-pork, but I’ll do it sometimes with a beef strew.
Carnitas
I feel like this is a hot take, but I never sear my meat before sticking it in the slow cooker- the whole point of the slow cooker is minimal effort, and I can’t taste the difference. 😁
Just right
I did that last weekend. I did Korean BBQ sauce, bag of pepper medley, hot sesame oil and fresh ginger, toasted sesame seeds and green onions and it was so damn good.
Fat is a good thing.
Nothing is ever too fatty for a slow cooker.
No, fat is where the flavor is.
I love those chunks of fat, I just made sure to kinda break it up and disperse it when I’m shredding the pork so that you don’t get any bites of pure fat
Nevdr too fatty!
Just put your favorite rubs or spices in it and add a coke and let it cook on high in a crockpot for an hour and then turn it on low overnight. In the morning, drain the fat off and add some more Coca Cola and let it simmer on low all day. At dinner time, drain off the remaining fat and you will find it is easily pulled apart with a fork.