Plan

There’s less meat on a pork shoulder than there seems. You’ll find a slab of fat on one side and big bone in the middle. Count on a 3-pound roast to feed six, when served with abundant rice, black beans and something green. In general, halve the raw weight when estimating portions.

A few hours in the oven delivers the essential flavor, but start in the morning for falling-off-the-bone deliciousness.

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3-4 pound Pork shoulder, also called pork butt
1/4 cup Oil (canola is fine; no need to waste extra virgin)
2 Small garlic heads, or one large
1 Large onion
4-6 cups Chicken broth or bouillon
2-3 cups Red wine (box wine is fine)
1/2 bottle Liquid Smoke
1 teaspoon Salt
1/8-1/4 teaspoon Black pepper
4 tablespoons Ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon Ground cayenne
Prep
Preheat the oven to 325°.
Mince or crush the garlic.
Chop the onion.
Cook
Heat the oil in a large oven-proof pot (6-quart is good).
Toast the garlic in oil 2-3 minutes.
Add the onion and sauté 5-10 minutes, until it’s caramelized.
Push the onion and garlic to the sides of the pot.
Sear the pork shoulder 3-5 minutes on each side.
Pour in the broth, wine and Liquid Smoke.
Shake the Liquid Smoke before pouring.
The liquids should cover at least half of the meat.
Add salt, pepper, cumin and cayenne and stir.
Cover with foil and crimp. Cover with the lid.
 
Cook at least two hours.
Turn the shoulder so the dry side is in the liquid.
Cook at least two more hours.
Check. The meat should be loose.
If you have time, continue cooking up to eight hours.
Check every 1-2 hours, until the meat falls off the bone.
Serve with broth over rice.
Store
Refrigerate any leftovers in plenty of broth.
Reheat in broth. This dish reheats very well.