Honey Dijon Sous Vide Pork Shoulder

Sous vide pork shoulder cooked to fork tender without babysitting. This pulled pork recipe makes any main dish hearty, flavorful, and satisfying.

Pork shoulder (sometimes called “Boston butt”) is a tougher cut of meat. But when cooked right, it becomes so juicy, flavorful and tender, you hardly need to use any strength to pull it apart with your fork. That’s exactly what this sous vide pork shoulder recipe is going to achieve, so get ready to serve up some serious eats.

If you’ve only tried slow-roasting pork shoulder using traditional methods, such as the oven or grill, you may be wondering if sous vide pulled pork shoulder can achieve the same texture. The answer is yes—the sous vide is a foolproof method for cooking meat, especially juicy, tender pork.

Since the water bath is set to the exact temperature you want your meat to reach during sous vide cooking, it’s impossible to overcook it (and as such, it requires no babysitting). All you have to do with this sous vide pork shoulder is sit back, relax, and allow it to soak up the mouthwatering flavors of the honey, garlic, Dijon, and Thai chili marinade for the next 24 hours.

If you don’t have a sous vide machine, you can also use a slow cooker to cook pork shoulder or pork butt roast. This method has a shorter cook time of about 8-10 hours. I’ve listed both the sous vide and the slow cooker directions for you in the recipe below.

There’s only one finishing step to get the pork shoulder top nice and crispy once it leaves the water bath. You can broil it in the oven for 7-10 minutes, or sear it in a heavy-duty nonstick skillet to get it perfectly crispy on the outside, while it maintains its tenderness and juiciness on the inside. Now this pork shoulder is ready to add the X factor to all your main dishes.

StreetSmart Kitchen’s Recommended Ways for Serving

Need some ideas for serving? Here are some healthy and satisfying ways to enjoy the sous vide pork shoulder. I thoroughly enjoyed all of them. Hope you will too!

Tacos de Carnitas

Serve the pork in warmed tortillas, topped with cilantro, avocado, chopped onion, your favorite salsa, cheese, and lime. Yum!!

Mexican Quinoa Bowl

Assemble a healthy bowl of goodies with some flavored grains like Mexican quinoa or Mexican rice, this pulled pork, and a simple steamed broccoli. Voila!

Cauliflower Rice Bowl

This idea came from one of my dear friends, Holly, who’s very much into fitness and running. If you are looking for a low-carb option, this one is for you.

Simply cook some cauliflower rice in the reserved pork cooking juice and sauté whatever vegetables you have on hand. (I sautéed some bell peppers and portobello mushrooms with the pork cooking juice.) Then assemble a bowl with the pork and vegetables and top it with an avocado. Drooling!

Now, I’d love to hear from you. How would you serve this delicious pork? Leave a comment below and/or share your hearty meal on Instagram using hashtag #streetsmartkitchen so I can see. I would love to try your ideas.

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