Cooking pork - fatty taste?

ArbitraryRandom

I'm looking for help again  

I'm trying to work through my freezers with a view to getting rid of one and I have several pork shoulders that I bought reduced or on offer and chucked in there. I used to cook pork a lot (roasts, stir fries etc) but recently whenever I cook it I really struggle to enjoy it... it just tastes overwhelmingly fatty (even with the visible fat cut off). 

I swear I'm not cooking it any differently, so I'm guessing it's my taste buds that have changed... I used to love crackling and now it's just oily salt. 

The last joint I cooked I ended up cutting the bulk of it into thick slices and air frying topped with applesauce and cheese (like chops), which did hide the taste and was quite nice, but I'm wondering if anyone has any other suggestions for hiding or removing the fatty taste?

Ideally for cooking in the pressure cooker or slow cooker in a way that can be reheated quickly of an evening. 

joedenise

With shoulder of pork I would be slow cooking it in a BBQ sauce for pulled pork.  It's definitely the best cut for it and what I always buy.  

I always make my own BBQ sauce as well but you can just used a bottle/jarred sauce if you prefer.

Reheats quickly in a pan or in the microwave.  It's great in a roll!

maman

I'd agree with @joedenise. Shoulder of pork definitely needs slow cooking. I'd oven roast for a couple of hours and use a trivet if you want to drain some of the fat. 

ArbitraryRandom

Thanks, but that's how I normally cook it - how I've always cooked it. 

I take the fat off (for crackling if I'm doing a roast), then put it in the slow cooker up on some balls of foil or half onions for 6-12 hours (depending on what I'm wanting to cook); then it goes in the oven to finish off as a roast, or is shredded with BBQ, or diced into a curry or whatever. 

It's always been great, but just recently (last maybe 2 or 3 joints) the pork has been really greasy tasting - so I have to drown it in BBQ or applesauce to be able to eat it. I tend to cook once or twice a week for leftovers and I used to be able to enjoy a joint as cold cuts in a sarnie or something but I can't stand it now without a ton of sauce/topping on every bite to hide the flavour. 

joedenise

Sounds as though your tastebuds have changed a lot.  Maybe it's time to stop cooking pork for a while and try again in a few months time!

ArbitraryRandom

Yeah, I just really want to get this freezer empty... frustrating. 

bouicca21

Maybe turn it into a curry?

button_box

How long has your Pork been in the freezer?  The fat can go "off" and would give a stronger taste. If pork meat has come from an old Boar it can taste as though you are sucking on an old Penny. It maybe is that your taste has changed. Have you noticed that with any other foods?  Apple sauce is good for cutting that fattiness in Pork which is maybe why you can tolerate the pork with apple sauce or BBQ sauce.

MattMattMattUK

Has anything else recently changed in taste for you? It is not uncommon that a drop in sense of smell can change the flavour of foods, certain medications such as statins and steroids also change one's perception of flavour. Alternatively I suspect that it may have just been in the freezer a bit too long.

-taff

I'd just roast it in the oven for a few hours instead of slow ooking it and stand it on something so the fat drains away. Or as you have done, slice thickly but grill, again, so the fat drains away.

It does sound odd that it now tastes greasy, hve you had a cold lately? Does anything else taste odd to you?