The Best Way to Deep-Fry a Pork Shoulder in Peanut Oil

Deep-frying a pork shoulder in peanut oil locks in flavor and moisture, while providing a crisp exterior. Not only does peanut oil provide you with calcium, vitamin E, iron, potassium and magnesium, it has a high smoking point, keeping the oil from burning your food.

Using a backyard deep-fryer or turkey-fryer to fry a pork shoulder can be dangerous, because you're working with an open propane flame and oil heated to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Use your deep-fryer in an open, uncovered area, and wear protective clothing.

1. Place your pork shoulder in the fry basket of a turkey fryer.
2. Lower the basket into the empty fry pot.
3. Pour water into the pot until the shoulder is fully immersed in the water. Continue to add water until there's at least an inch of water above the pork shoulder.
4. Remove the pork shoulder from the pot.
5. Place a mark on the outside of the frying pot with a felt-tipped marker to correspond to the water level in the pot once you remove the pork shoulder. This gives you a guide for the amount of oil you need to pour into the pot to cover the roast.
6. Pour the water from the pot.
7. Inject your pork shoulder with an injectable marinade of your choice. Insert the injector filled with marinade over the entire pork shoulder, filling the meat with the entire jar of marinade.
8. Rub the exterior of the pork shoulder with yellow mustard.
9. Shake dry pork seasoning over the entire roast.
10. Cover the seasoned pork shoulder with plastic wrap and place it in the refrigerator overnight.
11. Fill the deep-fry pot with peanut oil up to the mark you made on the exterior of the pot.
12. Turn on the propane tank attached to the burner on the fryer stand.
13. Light the burner on the stand with a barbecue lighter.
14. Insert a frying thermometer into the fry pot of peanut oil.
15. Set the pot onto the burner to heat the oil to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
16. Remove the pork shoulder from the refrigerator and place it into the fry basket.
17. Slip on elbow-length oven mitts and slowly lower the fry basket into the hot oil using the grab hook that came with your fryer.
18. Deep-fry the pork shoulder in the peanut oil for about 8 minutes per pound.