Shoulder at 82 degrees: Carnitas

The upper foreleg and neck, a bundle of small muscles held together by generous seams of fat and connective tissue. That structure makes it almost impossible to overcook slowly, which is why every barbecue tradition on earth converged on this one cut for pulled pork. Choose a piece with visible fat seams running through the middle, not just a cap on the outside.

Internal temperature has to run well past done: the collagen only surrenders in the nineties, long after the meat is technically safe. Colour, sinew, where the fat sits, and thickness are what you check before you pay. Ask for the thickness that matches “Carnitas.” Use 82 degrees and 82 when you cook. Salt after you know the job. Do not play with undercooked meat.

At the counter, read the use on Shoulder before the photograph. 82 degrees is the internal heat, “Carnitas” is the dish, and 82 is the stage of the fire. Marbling alone does not split stew from grill. Boston butt grades follow the carcass; look for even fat seams rather than a Prime sticker alone.