Easy & Delicious: Can You Cook Pork Shoulder Halves in an Air Fryer?

With the popularity of air fryers, many people now like to use air fryers to make delicious food. Can you cook pork shoulder in an air fryer? Now let's discuss this issue together!

Can you cook pork shoulder in an air fryer ?

You can use an air fryer to cook pork shoulder. First of all, you need to know that pork shoulder is the front leg part of the pig. The meat in this part is tender and fat, with alternating fat and lean meat. It contains a lot of protein and has a delicate taste. There are many cooking methods, such as stir-frying, deep-frying, and pan-frying. The air fryer mainly uses high-speed circulating hot air to cook food. No oil is needed during the cooking process. The biggest advantage is that it can reduce the use of fat and keep the food crispy. It is very suitable for cooking pork shoulder.

How long does pork shoulder take in the air fryer?

The time it takes to cook pork shoulder in an air fryer depends on the thickness, size and personal taste of the pork shoulder, which can be roughly divided into the following situations:

Pork shoulder (about 0.5-1 cm thick slice)

If the thickness of the pork shoulder is relatively thin, set the air fryer temperature to about 180℃ and the cooking time is about 8-12 minutes. Thin slices of pork shoulder heat quickly, and too long a time can easily cause the meat to become old and dry. During the cooking process, turn it over after about 5-6 minutes to ensure that both sides of the pork shoulder are baked golden and crispy.

Pork shoulder (about 1-2 cm thick slice)

If the thickness of the pork shoulder is 1-2 cm, then the air fryer temperature needs to be set to 180-200℃ and bake for 15-20 minutes. Make sure that the heat penetrates the pork shoulder and it is cooked. Turn over after about 10 minutes, and raise the temperature to 200℃ in the last 3-5 minutes to make the pork shoulder meat more crispy.

Pork shoulder meat in chunks (about 2-3 cm thick slices)

If it is pork shoulder meat in chunks, the air fryer temperature should be set at 180-200℃, and the cooking time should be about 20-25 minutes. Turn over after about 10-12 minutes. The specific time can be adjusted according to the actual situation, such as the size of the pork shoulder meat, the power of the air fryer, etc.

Which is the best cooking method for a pork shoulder?

Pork shoulder refers to the meat near the front legs of the pig, which is rich in collagen, and its meat is tender and chewy, suitable for slow cooking, barbecue, frying and other cooking methods. The best way to cook pork shoulder, everyone has different taste preferences, personally, I think slow cooking and barbecue are the two best ways to reflect the flavor of pork shoulder.

Slow-cooked pork shoulder: slow-cooked pork shoulder can make pork shoulder meat become soft, collagen fully dissolved, forming a rich soup and delicious taste, suitable for the elderly and children to eat, the taste is tender and high nutritional value, can supplement the human body with sufficient nutrients.

BBQ Pork shoulder: BBQ pork shoulder is crispy on the outside, tender and juicy on the inside, great for family gatherings and outdoor barbecues, if you like to eat crispy barbecue, then BBQ pork shoulder must not be missed.

How do you keep pork from drying out in an air fryer?

The air fryer mainly cooks pork through high-temperature hot air circulation. This cooking method can quickly take away the moisture on the surface of the pork and make the surface of the pork crispy. But at the same time, it is also easy to cause the internal moisture of the pork shoulder to be lost, resulting in a dry taste. The following methods can be used to prevent the pork from drying out:

Marinate the pork in advance

Before using an air fryer to cook pork shoulder, you can fully marinate the pork with marinade. Salt and other seasonings can lock in the moisture of the pork and prevent excessive moisture loss during cooking.

Choose the right pork part

After all, the working principle of the air fryer is fixed. Therefore, it is recommended to choose pork parts with a certain fat content, such as pork belly and pork shoulder, to fundamentally reduce the possibility of the pork being cooked and dried.

Preheat the air fryer:

Before using the air fryer, you need to preheat the air fryer to the appropriate problem. Preheating can make the temperature in the fryer more uniform and avoid the ingredients being directly exposed to high temperatures at the beginning and quickly dehydrating.

Turn over during cooking

During the cooking process of pork in an air fryer, you can turn over the pork appropriately. This can not only ensure that the pork is evenly heated, but also observe the pork to avoid the pork from being overcooked and dry.

Brush oil:

Before baking pork in an air fryer, you can brush a thin layer of cooking oil on the surface of the pork. Because cooking oil can form a protective film on the surface of the pork and reduce the loss of moisture.

Can you cut a pork shoulder in half before cooking?

Before cooking the pork shoulder, it is best to cut the pork shoulder in half, which not only reduces the cooking time of the pork shoulder, but also makes it easier to marinate and season the pork shoulder. The pork shoulder seasoning is easier to penetrate into the meat, and the seasoning is also easier to taste, making the cooked pork shoulder taste better.

However, it should be noted that the suitable cutting tool for pork shoulder should be selected, the choice of sharp knife can speed up the speed, and the suitable cutting of pork shoulder should be cut along the texture of the pork shoulder muscle to avoid cutting the muscle fiber. This will preserve the integrity and texture of the pork shoulder.

How to divide a whole pork shoulder?

1. Prepare tools

Knife: Choose a sharp chopping or boning knife to make cutting the pork shoulder easier.

Gloves: Wear wire gloves when cutting pork shoulder to protect your hands from the knife.

Cutting Board: Choose a cutting board that is sturdy and won’t slide easily.

2. Segmentation Steps

Determine the segmentation location:

Observe the structure of the whole piece of pork shoulder meat and determine the parts that need to be cut. Pork shoulder meat is divided into front shoulder, back meat (including pork belly and ribs) and hind leg meat.

Split front shoulder:

Cut off the front part from the fourth and fifth ribs, which is the front shoulder of the pig. The front shoulder meat is tender and suitable for making dishes such as braised pork.

To cut the tenderloin:

Cut off the ribs until the tailbone, which includes back loin, pork belly and ribs. Back loin is tender and suitable for roasting; pork belly is fat and lean, suitable for braised meat; ribs are suitable for stewing or roasting.

Cutting the hind leg:

Cut the hind leg along the tail bone. This part has better meat quality and is suitable for making ham or stewing.

Further segmentation:

The cut parts can be further cut according to specific cooking needs, for example, pork belly can be cut into thin slices, ribs can be cut into small sections, etc.

3. Notes

Keep your knives sharp:

Using a sharp knife makes it easier to cut the meat while reducing friction and heat loss during the cutting process, thus keeping the meat tender.

Cutting along the muscle grain:

When cutting, try to follow the muscle texture to avoid cutting muscle fibers. This will maintain the integrity and taste of the meat.

Pay attention to health and safety:

During the cutting process, pay attention to hand hygiene and the cleaning and disinfection of knives and cutting boards. Avoid direct contact with food materials with your hands to cause contamination, and ensure that knives and cutting boards are thoroughly cleaned before and after use.

Reasonable use of food materials:

The cut parts can be further processed and cooked according to different cooking requirements. For example, the lean meat and fat parts can be cooked separately to meet the requirements of different dishes.