There’s nothing more versatile than pork shoulder, cooked until fork tender and shredded. Bon Appétit tells us that even in summer it’s worth cranking up the stove, or plugging in the slow cooker, to make a pork shoulder. Leave that hunk of pork to stew in its own juices, and come back to a week’s worth of meals.

Follow along with Bon Appétit’s “no recipe” method, or make one of our pork shoulder recipes below. Once you cook a pork shoulder, you can make sandwiches, noodles, salads, wraps or tacos with the shredded meat.

Start with the Best Pork

We think the old breeds are the tastiest, and accordingly offer two heritage breed pork shoulders.

The first option, our Berkshire pork, is revered by chefs for its extraordinary marbling and distinctive taste. You’ve no doubt heard of the Japanese term for these pigs: Kurobuta. Call it what you will, Berkshire pork is known for its richness, dark color, and mind-blowing porky flavor. D’Artagnan Berkshire pork shoulder is juicy and meaty, with plentiful marbling. Try it once and you’ll never go back to “the other white meat.”

Another equally tasty choice is our heritage breed pork shoulder, raised the same way as our Berkshire hogs – on small family farms that are third-party audited for animal welfare. The only difference is that these hogs are of mixed heritage stock – some may even have a Berkshire ancestor – all with traceable bloodlines. Whichever you choose, prepare to fall in love with pork all over again.

Chinese-Style Pork Roast

This super-easy recipe for Asian-style slow-cooked pork shoulder yields fork-tender meat and authentic char siu flavor. Don’t skimp on basting, it helps to create a deeply caramelized, sweet crust.

Serve as a roast with steamed rice, or as a base for ssäm, steamed buns, ramen, or salads. The gift that keeps on giving, this pork roast can be the protein of the week.

Cuban-Style Pulled Pork Roast

With different spices and zingy citrus, pork shoulder takes on another personality. Making this great-tasting Cuban-style pork roast couldn’t be easier. Our ultra-marbled Berkshire pork shoulder gets an aromatic wet rub and slow roast for juicy meat that easily shreds with a fork.

This dish is excellent over rice with plantains on the side, or in sandwiches (hello, pressed sandwich), tacos, and salads.

Do you do batch cooking on the weekend? Tell us your strategies for preparing a week of meals. Chat with us on social media by tagging @dartagnanfoods on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter.

Since 1985, D’Artagnan has been at the forefront of the farm-to-table movement, producing superior tasting products by partnering with small ranches and farms. We are committed to free-range, natural production, sustainable and humane farming practices and no use of antibiotics or hormones. That’s why D’Artagnan products have been revered by America’s most renowned chefs for over 30 years. We offer the same high-quality products to home cooks at dartagnan.com, along with recipes and guides to help you live the tasty life.

Are you a business looking to serve or sell D’Artagnan? We invite both chefs and food retailers to reach out and become D’Artagnan customers.

Connect with us on social media to share your cooking adventures. Tag @dartagnanfoods on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter.