Pork shoulder is – you guessed it – the cut taken from the shoulder of a pig. As it does a lot of work walking the pig around all day, it is quite a tough, muscular joint and so must be cooked low and slow to avoid any toughness. Cooking down for hours allows this muscular tissue to break down and becoming meltingly soft. Whilst the Americans hail the shoulder (or confusingly, as it’s known there, the ‘butt’) as the top choice for barbecued pulled pork, we Brits also prize the cut for one of our most iconic British dishes – roast pork (with crackling of course!)

Make sure you choose pork shoulder with the skin on, as this is what bubbles up to make that perfect crispy crackling. Avoid paler looking meat and blood spots on the skin, a pinkish-red colour with a little marbling will provide best results. You will commonly find this cut boned and rolled, but roasting on the bone helps keep juicy, just be aware to buy a big enough piece. A bone-in piece will obviously weigh more but yield less.