Citrus Braised Pork Recipes

CITRUS-BRAISED PORK

Steps:

• Mix orange juice, onion, lime juice, olive oil, garlic, brown sugar, salt, oregano, cumin, lime zest, pepper, and bay leaves in a heavy Dutch oven. Add pork shoulder; turn to coat. Cover and marinate in the refrigerator, 4 hours to overnight.
• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Remove Dutch oven from the refrigerator and cover tightly with aluminum foil.
• Bake pork in the preheated oven until heated through, about 1 1/2 hours. Flip pork carefully. Replace foil and bake for 1 hour more. Remove aluminum foil. Continue baking uncovered, turning once halfway through, until pork falls apart and marinade is reduced, 1 1/2 to 2 hours.
• Remove pork from oven and let rest for 20 minutes. Shred pork in the Dutch oven using 2 forks; mix shredded pork with the reduced marinade. Discard bay leaves.

SLOW-ROASTED PORK WITH CITRUS AND GARLIC

Steps:

• Pulse the garlic, oregano, thyme, coriander and cumin seeds, bay leaves, 2 tablespoons salt and 1 teaspoon pepper in a food processor to make a thick paste. Trim off all but a thin layer of fat from the pork, then make deep slits all over the roast (about every 2 inches) with a paring knife. Rub the spice paste over the pork and into the slits.
• Mix the citrus juices, Worcestershire sauce and olive oil in a large glass bowl. Submerge the pork in the marinade and top with the onions and reserved orange and lemon peels. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 8 hours or up to 2 days. Bring to room temperature 1 hour before roasting.
• Preheat the oven to 450. Remove the citrus peels from the bowl and refrigerate. Place the pork on a rack in a large roasting pan (reserve the marinade and onions); roast, uncovered, about 1 hour. Add the marinade to the pan and pile the onions on top of the meat. Cover with foil, lower the oven temperature to 350 and roast 2 more hours. Uncover, place the citrus peels around the pork and continue to roast, basting occasionally, until the meat browns and a thermometer inserted into the bottom half registers 190, 1 hour 30 minutes to 2 hours.
• Transfer the pork to a cutting board and let rest 10 minutes. Meanwhile, skim any excess fat from the pan juices. Slice the pork and serve with the onion and pan juices. Garnish with citrus peels.

CARIBBEAN BRAISED PORK WITH CITRUS

Steps:

• Mix the marinade ingredients in a bowl and add the pork, stirring to coat the meat.
• Refrigerate covered overnight, stirring occasionally.
• Remove the pork from the marinade, reserve the marinade.
• Heat the oil in a large pot over high heat and brown the pork in batches.
• Transfer the pork to a plate and add the reserved marinade to the pot, stirring to dissolve the brown bits in the bottom of the pot.
• Cook until the marinade is reduced by half and add the pork and remaining ingredients.
• Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer covered until the meat is tender, about 1 hour.
• Serve garnished with cilantro and lime wedges.

CARNITAS

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350 degrees. In a large Dutch oven, combine pork, 1 tablespoon salt, 1 teaspoon pepper and the oregano, and toss to evenly coat the meat in the spices. Squeeze orange juice all over the pork and add the juiced orange quarters to the pot. Add onion, garlic, cinnamon stick and bay leaf, and toss until well incorporated, nestling everything in an even layer. Drizzle oil evenly over the meat. Cover and braise in oven until pork is tender, about 2 1/2 hours, stirring once halfway through the cooking.
• Heat broiler to high, setting a rack 6 inches from the heat source. Transfer pork to a rimmed baking sheet and shred the meat. Strain juices from the pot through a fine-mesh sieve into a small bowl, pressing on the solids; discard solids. Skim fat from top and reserve the juices.
• Broil pork until golden and crisp in spots, about 4 to 5 minutes. Transfer carnitas to serving plates and drizzle with some of the reserved juices. Serve warm with tortillas and toppings of choice.

CITRUS GLAZED PORK BELLY

Steps:

• Adjust oven setting to broil.
• Using a sharp knife, score the fat side of the pork belly, diagonally, and season with salt and pepper on all sides, rubbing the salt and pepper into the scored parts of the flesh.
• Place the onion, carrots, and celery in the bottom of a large roasting pan and put the pork belly, scored side up, on top of the vegetables.
• Broil until golden brown, about 10 minutes. Turn the pork flesh side up and continue broiling for 5 more minutes.
• Reduce the oven temperature to 300°F.
• Turn the pork back to the scored side up and add the chicken stock, 2 cups of the juice, light brown sugar, thyme, cloves, and allspice to the roasting pan.
• Cover with foil and bake for 2 hours. After 2 hours, then loosen the foil to make a little steam vent and bake for another 2 hours or until the meat is very tender.
• While the pork is braising, prepare the glaze.
• Start by using a fine wire-meshed sieve to strain any pulp out of the remaining 2 cups juice.
• Combine the juice and 3/4 cup of sugar in a medium saucepan and bring mixture to a boil. Reduce heat to a gentle boil and cook until the glaze is thick and syrupy, about 30 to 40 minutes.
• Remove the pan from the oven and let the pork cool slightly in the braising liquid.
• Adjust oven setting to broil.
• Remove the pieces of pork belly from the braising liquid and pat dry. Using a pastry brush, baste the pork belly on all sides with the glaze.
• Place on a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil and broil for 4 to 5 minutes, or until crispy around the edges and golden brown.
• Drizzle pork belly generously with any remaining glaze and serve immediately.