This is the plan. Cook the shoulder for about six hours on low. Take out to rest. Cover everything but the skin and put in the oven at 450 and reverse sear until crackling.
I think this should produce some very tender meat but I'm worried about what the slow cooker will do to the skin and it's ability to get all bubbly and crisp. I salted all over but skipped the oil as it doesn't makes sense to add until it goes in the oven.
Bottom of slow cooker is spices, onion, garlic and beef broth for a gravy.
What are your thoughts fellow slow cooks? Is all the moisture in the slow cooker going to be an issue?
by CranberrySawsAlaBart
17 Comments
I don’t know if that will work, but I am very interested in finding out! Let us know what happens.
The exterior will probably not be the texture you’re hoping for.
You need dry heat for crackling. The slow cooker doesn’t do that. You’d be better off putting it in the oven.
I thought this was a giant concha 😭
Hear me out…what if you shallow fry the skin in a big cast iron? Worried that the skin won’t get crisp after soaking up all the moisture from the slow cook
If you want crackling you’re going to have to roast it.
Next time, sear first.
I made one in a dutchoven the in the oven for xmas and turned out great
After reading your description, I’m interested
I make carnitas in a similar fashion with pork shoulder (marinade and different spices obviously), but I have a large convection oven with an air fryer setting that crisps up the shredded carnitas very nicely. Dunno if you have that option available.
I’ve never tried your method so it might work. But my experience with crackling is for best results you should start with skin as dry as it can be (I tend to surround the meat with foils and leave the skin uncovered in the fridge overnight). Otherwise you spend a lot of time evaporating moisture before it crackles and that can lead to rubbery or rock hard skin, rather than puffed up, crispy crackling.
I can’t imagine a better way to get the skin very wet than to slow cook first. I’m with the others that have suggested just roasting it, rather than slow cooking first.
When I do belly, I roast at 240 for around 45 min to an hour, then 160 for a few hours to get pulled pork tender. Not saying that would necessarily work with this joint as there’s less fat. Although shoulder is quite fatty so it might.
Cut the skin off and cook separately, once it’s saturated it won’t crisp up correctly. I’ve tried it.
It also looks like you cut through the skin and the fat down to the meat, it’s generally recommended just to score the skin and leave the fat in tact.
Put it in the oven after it’s fully cooked at the highest temp you can get it for like, 10 minutes
I’m confused by all these comments. I think it will turn out fine. I’ve cut pork shoulder into chunks, pressure cooked til almost tender, and then finished under the broiler until crispy. It works.
Are y’all just not reading OP’s entire post?
I’ve done this recently by cooking the rind separately. Turned out great. It won’t crisp up in a slow cooker.
And the cutting into chunks would not be the same either