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Take the stress out of summer dinner parties with Darina Allen's go-to recipes

A shoulder of pork is the best cut to use for this long, slow cooking method, as the meat is layered with fat which slowly melts away. Try to find a traditional breed, such as Gloucester Old Spot, Saddleback, Black Berkshire, Middle White or Mangalitza. Slow-cooked shoulder of pork can be served in so many ways with so many accompaniments, but I love it as a filler for tacos along with all the toppings.

Pork taco party

recipe by:Darina Allen

I love slow-cooked shoulder of pork as a filler for tacos along with all the toppings.

Servings

10

Preparation Time

 15 mins

Cooking Time

 6 hours 30 mins

Total Time

 6 hours 45 mins

Course

 Main

Ingredients

• 1 x 2.75–3.25kg whole shoulder of organic free-range pork, skin on

• 8 garlic cloves, peeled 

• 25g fennel seeds

• flaky sea salt and freshly ground black pepper 

• 1 tsp chilli flakes (optional) 

• 2 tsp thyme leaves 

• To serve

• 16-20 soft corn tortillas - have a few extra on hand depending on how ravenous people are 

• guacamole or slices of avocado 

• tomato salsa 

• hot sauce 

• 6-8 spring onions, cut on the diagonal 

• 8-10 tbsp coriander leaves 

• 3 organic limes, halved, for squeezing 

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180ºC/gas mark 4.

2. Using a small sharp knife or, better still, a Stanley knife, score the rind of the pork with deep cuts about 5mm apart.

3. Crush the garlic with the fennel seeds in a pestle and mortar and mix in some salt and pepper and a few chilli flakes (if using). Sprinkle over the pork, rubbing it into the cuts, over the rind and all over the surface of the meat.

4. Place the shoulder of pork on a rack in an approx. 33 x 30cm roasting tin and roast for 30 minutes or until the skin begins to blister and brown. Reduce the temperature to 130ºC/gas mark 1 and continue to roast for 5–6 hours until the meat is completely soft under the crisp skin. By this time, the meat should give way and almost fall off the bone. Pour off the delicious pork fat from time to time and save it in jars for roasting or sautéing potatoes another day.

5. Lift the crisp skin off the slow-cooked pork, chop and keep warm. Lift the pork off the bones and shred into a large serving bowl.

6. Strain the pork pan juices into a measuring jug and pour off and discard all the fat from the surface. Add the rich juices to the pork. Season the meat with salt and pepper, a few chilli flakes and some thyme leaves. Keep hot.

7. Lay out the accompaniments on the table: a pile of soft corn tortillas, a bowl of guacamole or sliced avocado, some tomato salsa, a bottle of hot sauce, some slivered spring onions and fresh coriander. Bring the hot meat and crackling to the table and allow everyone to help themselves.
   Taken from One Pot Feeds All by Darina Allen. Published by Kyle Books.