Pork Shoulder

Pork shoulder is the everyday cut for Singapore kitchens: cubed for a stew or curry, sliced at 6mm for a stir-fry, or minced for dumplings, meatballs, and bak chor mee. It carries enough fat to stay moist through a long braise, but the cubes also hold their shape well in a curry that simmers for an hour. Minced pork cooks fast and takes on whatever seasoning goes into it, from soy and sesame to a five-spice dumpling filling. Sliced 6mm is thick enough to sear rather than flash-cook, so a hot pan and a short rest work better than a boil.