PORK SHOULDER KEBABS - Jack's Meat Shack (2024)

FAQs

Is pork shoulder good for kabobs? ›

Without a doubt pork is my favourite kind of meat. There's not single cut or sausage that I don't enjoy. The humble pork shoulder is without a doubt one of my favourites. It sits right in the middle of lean and fatty, is cheap as chips to buy and makes a smashing kebab with a minimum of effort.

Pork shoulder goes by several names at the grocery store including picnic roast, Boston butt, blade roast, and pork butt. Common cooking methods for pork shoulder include braising, smoking, roasting, grilling, and slow cooking. Cook pork shoulder on low for 6-8 hours or high for 4-5 hours.

The shoulder is fairly tough in nature, with its connective tissues and larger amount of fat (about 16-30% fat compared to the 9-14% of pork loin). With that in mind, slow cooking is the name of the game for pork shoulder.

The best cut of pork to use for kebabs is tender and lean like pork neck meat or tenderloin. Because the meat won't cook long on the grill, you want a tender cut that won't dry out.

Pork shoulder benefits from long, slow cooking that tenderizes the meat and melts the fat. The best cooking methods for pork shoulder are braising or stewing, but it may also be fried, baked, or made into ground pork.

In general, pork shoulder will usually be cheaper in comparison to pork butt. This is because pork butt is often a larger piece of meat. But, both cuts are considered economical cuts of meat compared to others.

Pork butt, also known as Boston butt or pork shoulder, is a cut of meat from the upper portion of a pig's front shoulder. It's a relatively inexpensive and forgiving hunk of meat that you'll most often see served as pulled pork in barbecue restaurants.

Nutrition and flavor: Pork chops are lean meat cuts, which means they have less fat, less marbling and fewer calories per pound. This also means the flavor is more mild compared to the marbled and flavorful meat of pork steak cuts which come from the pork shoulder.

Difficulty in Shredding: If the pork is hard to shred, it might not be cooked enough. Pork should reach an internal temperature of around 195°F to 205°F to be easily shreddable. Uneven Cooking: Inconsistent cooking temperatures can lead to unevenly cooked pork.

Pork shoulder isn't considered a lean cut of pork, because it's somewhat high in fat and saturated fat. A 100-gram portion contains 12 grams total fat, which is 19 percent of the daily value (DV) recommended by the Food and Drug Administration.

Does pork shoulder get softer the longer you cook it? ›

Unlike the more lean tenderloin and chops, pork shoulder is an incredibly forgiving cut of meat. It becomes more tender as it cooks and benefits from a lengthy cook time, so even if it stays on the heat a few minutes too long, you won't suddenly end up with something dry or rubbery.

Choose the Best Beef Cut for Kabobs

Relatively tender, without a need for extensive marinating, Sirloin (from top to tip) is lean and fits into a balanced diet — plus, it's budget-friendly . Other good beef choices for kabobs are Flat Iron or Strip Steak and even Tenderloin.

Use pork shoulder, pork belly, and/or pork butt sliced into 1-inch long by 1/2-inch wide pieces to make grilled pork skewers. The meat must have a good amount of fat marbling. When slicing and skewering, leave some fat on the meat and skewer a fatty piece at the top of the stick.

Fall apart tender and smoky barbecued pork shoulder, cooked low and slow on a 2-burner gas grill. This recipe includes two different rub options. Elise founded Simply Recipes in 2003 and led the site until 2019.