Miso Ginger Braised Pork Shoulder

a tender pork roast for slow and low cooking

A few weeks ago, the weather took a turn with a bomb cyclone and an atmospheric river hit Northern California. We got a downpour of rain for about a week, so I stayed in as much as possible and hunkered down.

The forecast made menu planning for my private chef clients relatively simple since comfort food was a high priority.

As the cold weather sets in, braised meat is at the top of my comfort food list. The slow and low process makes meat luxuriously tender and requires very little active cooking time.

If you’ve been intimidated to braise meat, this recipe will give you the confidence you need to make the most delicious meals all fall and winter long.

Plus, you don’t even need a Dutch oven. You can use a cast iron skillet or a baking dish to get the same results.

To dry brine or marinate the meat, you only need a few hours in the oven and a little forethought.

Originally, I wanted to make a Cuban-style pork dish with lots of garlicky mojo (iykyk), since it’s a comfort food from my childhood but decided to postpone that until I could make black beans and yellow rice to go along with it.

Leaning into warming fall flavors, I opted for a ginger miso braising liquid and a simple dry brine overnight. I cannot tell you how good the kitchen smelled all morning as it was roasting!