Summer + Pork = Heaven

What's summer without shredded pork? It's like camping without s'mores or a birthday without cake. In other words, you gotta have it.

I don't have a grill so for me it means long hours roasting in the oven. Which is fine, as long as its not 100 degrees out, as it will be any day now. So on a recent unseasonably cool day, I turned the oven on to 275˚F and let this pork slow-cook for 8 hours. I shredded it, froze it, and any day now I'll make yummy barbecue, tacos, maybe a stir fry or Asian-style pasta dish.

I started with about a 3-pound boneless pork loin end; pork shoulder (sometimes labeled pork butt) also works well with this method. I simply salted, peppered, and rubbed allspice all over the meat. Because the loin was lean, I drizzled it with olive oil. When using a shoulder with more fat, I typically cut off excess pieces of fat and drape them over top of the meat while cooking, which helps keep the meat from drying out.

I set the loin on a rack over a sheet pan, and let it cook. It's done when it has a nice crispy crust and shreds easily. It was all I could do not to eat the whole thing in one sitting: moist, succulent, and so flavorful for such little seasoning. And now I have a freezer full of shredded pork just waiting for inspiration to strike.