Daniel Patterson, Coi

This is a super easy and delicious way to cook pork shoulder. Use as big a chunk of the pork shoulder as you can afford – bigger pieces work best. Bone in or out, either is fine. Cut it almost in half so that it flops open, and season the inside with plenty of salt and pepper. If you want, you can add a head of garlic cut in half (but not peeled) and some thyme. Close it back up and season the outside with salt and pepper. Put it in a container at least 4″ deep – it’s going to throw off a lot of fat and juices (The first time I made it many years ago, at home, I put it in a shallow pan, and was awaked to a strange lapping sound. Further investigation determined that the juices had overflowed and run down the side of the oven, puddling on the floor below, where I also found a very happy dog.). Cover it with either a lid or aluminum foil – the cover is very important. Put it in a 180 degree oven at night and in the morning your house will smell deliciously of pork, and the meat will have collapsed into tenderness. It’s great in stews, sautes, sandwiches – anything, really. The juices and fats that are left in the pan are a great flavoring for pasta, beans, rice…..