It’s not really new news that I love a good old pork shoulder.
In my opinion, you just can’t beat it! Not only are they affordable but there are so many different things you can do with them. Plus, they feed a crowd. I always have a pork shoulder in my freezer because you just never know. Emergency pork shoulders, anyone?
In terms of the meat itself, I do think it’s important to get the best quality you can. I’ve tried a lot of pork and have settled in on Sonoma County Meat Co. as my very favorite. I buy all my bacon, my shoulders and my chops from them. I’m sure you have a good local brand/farm where you live that brings in the bacon, so to speak. 😉 It’s extremely important to me that the meat I buy is local, pastured and humane. I’d rather not eat meat at all if it doesn’t fit with those three criteria.
Anyway, back to my pork shoulder love affair. I have been cooking a ton of shoulders lately – usually in the slow cooker and usually on a Saturday. This time, I decided to do a simple dry rub with spices and brown sugar then cook it low and slow for eight hours before shredding on top of a big pile of nachos. Are you drooling yet?
To brighten up the whole mess, I made a quick chimichurri sauce to drizzle on top because, well, it’s my favorite. My food processor bit the dust a few weeks ago so I just whipped this up in my blender. If you make this, don’t forget the sauce!! It really does make it when you get that bite that has a little bit of everything on it. And by “everything”, I mean chip, pork, beans, cheese, chimichurri sauce, Greek yogurt and salsa. DO IT.
![](jpg/pulled-pork-nachos-2-1-of-1-150x150.jpg)
- 3 lb boneless pork shoulder
- 1 tsp paprika
- 2 tsp garlic powder
- 2 tsp cumin
- 2 tsp chili powder
- 2 tsp kosher salt
- 2 tbsp brown sugar
- 1 onion, chopped
- 2 bunches cilantro, chopped
- 1 serrano pepper, seeds removed and chopped
- 1 clove garlic, chopped
- 1/3 cup olive oil
- 1/2 tsp sugar
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 lime, juiced
- Greek yogurt (for serving)
- salsa (for serving)
- can of pinto beans (for serving)
- shredded cheddar cheese (for serving)
- 1 package tortilla chips
-
In a small bowl, mix together the paprika, garlic powder, cumin, chili powder, salt and brown sugar. Rub this all over the pork shoulder.
Brown the pork shoulder on all sides over high heat on the stove. Place pork shoulder in the slow cooker with the onions and turn the heat to low for 8 hours.
After 8 hours is up, shred the pork with a fork and mix it all up with the "pan sauce" that's inside the slow cooker. Keep it warm while you make the chimichurri sauce.
To make the sauce, blend together the cilantro, olive oil, garlic, sugar, salt and serrano in either a high power blender or a food processor.
To assemble the nachos, heat your broiler to high. Spread out the tortilla chips on a large sheet pan. Sprinkle beans over the chips then add the cheese (a few big handfuls should do the trick). Place under the broiler for about 2-3 minutes until the cheese has melted. Top with the shredded pork, some of your favorite salsa, a few big dollops of Greek yogurt and the chimichurri sauce.
Kelli H (Made in Sonoma)
February 24, 2017 at 8:45 amNachos are the best! Especially with pulled pork.
Celia @ Chicago Jogger
February 24, 2017 at 9:10 amYum!! This looks so good. I completely agree on using high quality meats.
andrea
February 24, 2017 at 12:11 pmwhat are your thoughts on using the instapot for this? yum!
jenna
February 27, 2017 at 1:30 pmI think you could! I just haven’t personally tested it in the IP. I have cooked pork shoulders in there before though. I know that Nom Nom Paleo has some great IP recipes so I might take a look there and adjust the time to what she says. I want to say, like, 40 minutes on manual pressure then do a NPR? I will have to try that next!
Christina @ montessoriishmom.com
February 24, 2017 at 12:50 pmI’ve never cooked pork shoulder before but this looks delicious! I somehow dropped and shattered my crock pot last week, but I need to make this as soon as I get a new one!
Sana
February 24, 2017 at 12:52 pmHappy to have you back in the blogging world!
Tricia
February 24, 2017 at 2:58 pmYou really are back in action!! This reminds me so much of your old recipes, which is definitely a great thing! (I also loved your book, feel free to write some more words of wisdom any time now!)
Michelle
February 26, 2017 at 4:43 pmMy husband and I made these tonight and it was absolutely fantastic!!! Thanks for an awesome recipe!
jenna
February 27, 2017 at 1:27 pmSo glad!!
palak bhatti
February 27, 2017 at 4:07 ami love your recipes thanks for sharing
Amber Goelz
February 27, 2017 at 5:33 amWe started raising our own meat (pigs, chickens, and lamb) 2 years ago, and I’ll never go back! It is so important to find good quality meat, I hadn’t realized so much before we moved out to the country, but it makes such a big difference!
Vicky
February 27, 2017 at 8:41 amI made these yesterday – OMG so good!! We will be making these again and again. I can’t wait to use the leftovers-pork tacos with pickled red onion and queso fresco. Thanks for the recipe!! <3
jenna
February 27, 2017 at 1:27 pmSo glad you enjoyed them!
Wendy
March 7, 2017 at 7:26 pmI used to read your blog back in the day and I am SO GLAD to see you back. I made the pulled pork and chimi sauce tonight for my family, and we all agreed both were delicious! The pork was stand-out flavorful on it’s own, but combined with the sauce it was to die for. So yummy! Thank you for blogging again! Your family is precious.
Rachelle
August 6, 2017 at 8:31 amMaking this for dinner tonight but what do I do with the lime????