That's all folks......

My house has smelled of pork since New Year's Eve - and, to me, that's a heavenly aroma.

I slow-roasted and braised three pork shoulders three different ways while working on today's story.

The bone-in, picnic pork shoulder has become one of my favorite cuts of meat. It's a hulking hunk of meat, yet it's very economical and needs little tending to become tender.

Much of the fat melts away during the cooking and flavor boosts come from a wet paste that you massage onto the surface. (The skin, if you like to eat it, becomes amazing crackly and crunchy.)

The first pork shoulder I slow-roasted on New Year's Eve - I set the oven temperature too high - 325 degrees - and left the meat in the oven too long. The meat was a little dry for my liking, but we still ate it, wrapped in corn tortillas.

The second attempt, I dialed the oven temp back to 300 and was happy with the results. See today's recipe.

Anthony Melhem, executive chef at Haldas Market, suggests slow-roasting at an even lower temp - 275 degrees - for 20 to 30 minutes per pound. I'm going to give this technique a whirl.

The braising recipe below is even easier and I've used it often. If you like pulled pork sandwiches, you'll like this recipe. It's very simple, flavorful and feeds a group. (Good for this weekend's football watching.) I've tried other chili-sauces, but Heinz 57 gives it the best taste.

Every time I make this in my slow cooker, my cat, Big Boy, starts twitching his whiskers because the smell is intoxicating. He would never eat it, but it's so funny to see his reaction.

I prefer to cook it overnight on a low setting and then shred the meat and kept it in the crockpot on warm, but the recipe also works just fine cooking it on high. Serve it coleslaw.

SLOW-COOKER SOUTHERN-STYLE PULLED PORK

Let the slow-cooker do the braising for you.

1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 onions, finely chopped
6 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon cracked black peppercorns
1 cup Heinz 57 sauce
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon liquid smoke
1 3-pound boneless pork shoulder or pork butt, trimmed of excess fat
Kaiser or onion buns

In a skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Add onions and cook until soft. Add garlic, chili powder, and pepper and cook, stirring 1 minute. Add Heinz 57 sauce, brown sugar, vinegar, Worcestershire sauce and liquid smoke. Stir to combine and bring to a boil. Place pork in slow cooker. Pour sauce over. Cover and cook on low for 10 to 12 hours or on high for 6 hours, until pork is falling apart. Transfer pork to cutting board and pull meat apart with two forks. Remove excess fat from sauce if needed. Return pork to sauce and keep warm. Spoon onto buns. Makes 6 to 8 servings.