Shoulder — Carnitas · 58

Cook Shoulder as Stews to 82° at the centre. Plate as Carnitas. Angle 2: check thickness before the clock. 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. Boston butt grades follow the carcass; look for even fat seams rather than a Prime sticker alone.

Cook Shoulder as Carnitas to 82° at the centre. Thick grain needs more time. A cut’s grain comes from how much the muscle worked. Shoulder needs heat through to 82° before “Carnitas” makes sense. 82 is a stage of that heat, not a luxury score. The same cut becomes a stew, a grill, or a braise, so a steak minute does not cover a pot. Thick connective tissue wants time, not a hard sear alone. This is not medical advice.