Get ready to cozy up with this Citrus Braised Pasture Raised Pork—it’s the kind of dish you’ll want to make all year long, but especially as the weather starts to cool down! Slow-braised with garlic, ginger, soy sauce, and a double hit of orange zest and freshly squeezed juice, this pork is bursting with rich, bold flavors. It’s tender, juicy, and infused with just the right amount of citrusy brightness. I love pairing this with super quick blistered shishito peppers tossed in sesame oil and a squeeze of lime for a fresh and slightly spicy element (they say 1 in 10 shishitos are spicy).

Everything is nestled over a big bowl of steamed Jasmine rice and topped off with a vibrant herby citrus garnish for the perfect finishing touch. This dish brings together warmth, freshness, and a just a little zing. Perfect for any dinner that calls for comfort and flavor, whether you're meal prepping or throwing a dinner party with friends, you'll want to add this recipe to your collection!

INGREDIENTS

For the Braised Pork –

• One 1915 Farm Pasture Raised Boston Butt or Pork Shoulder
• Kosher salt
• 2 Tbsp avocado oil, lard, or ghee
• 4-5 small oranges, or 3 large 
• 6 garlic cloves, finely minced or grated
• Ginger root, about 3" piece, peeled and finely grated
• 1/3 cup soy sauce
• 1/4 cup mirin
• 2 Tbsp brown sugar
• 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
• 2 cups chicken broth
• Steamed Jasmine rice, for serving

For the Herby Citrus Topping –

• Zest of 1 orange
• 3 garlic cloves, finely minced or grated
• 1/4 cup cilantro, finely minced
• 1/4 cup mint leaves, finely minced (about 12 leaves)
• Flaky finishing salt, such as Maldon

For the Shishito Peppers –

• 6-8 oz. shishito peppers 
• Splash of avocado oil
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• Kosher salt
• Juice of 1 lime

INSTRUCTIONS

Sear the Pork – Remove pork from package and pat dry and season on all sides liberally with kosher salt. This is a big piece of meat so don't be shy with seasoning! Place a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Once hot, add oil or lard, and let that heat a few seconds before carefully adding the meat and don't move it for 5-7 minutes. Sear the roast on all sides until a deeply golden, crisp exterior is achieved. Be sure to sear the fat cap as well.

Transfer pork to a plate and discard most of the fat, leaving behind about 1 tbsp in the pot. Turn off the heat while prepping your oranges. 

Prep Orange Zest and Juice – While the pork is searing, peel 1 orange into big strips using a vegetable peeler. Place a fine-mesh sieve over a small bowl to catch seeds and orange pulp, then slice two of the oranges in half and squeeze their juices into the bowl. We're looking for about 1/2 cup total, set aside and discard seeds.

Get Braising – Preheat oven to 300°F. Over medium heat, add minced garlic and ginger to the remaining fat in the pot. Sauté until fragrant, just a minute or two. Add soy sauce, mirin, brown sugar, red pepper flakes, the freshly squeeze orange juice, orange zest, and 2 cups broth. Stir to combine and nestle the pork roast (and any juices from the plate) back into the pot.

Bring to a boil, then cover with a lid and transfer to preheated oven for 3-4 hours, depending on the size of your roast. Meat is done when it's fall apart tender. Remove to a cutting board and shred with a fork (if you plan to reduce your sauce, don't shred the pork directly in the pot).

*Crockpot/Slow Cooker Option: Alternatively, at this point you can transfer everything to a crock pot and cook on low for 7-8 hours or high for 5-6 hours, until meat is fall apart tender and shreds easily with a fork.

Reduce Braising Liquid, optional but highly recommended – Place a fine-mesh sieve over a medium bowl, and pour the braising liquid over to strain out the orange peels. Place liquid back into the pot and cook over high until reduced by about half. This will concentrate the flavors and result in a really delicious sauce. Pour all but about 1/4 cup of the sauce into a gravy boat or small bowl, cover with foil to keep warm until ready to serve.  

Prepare the Rice – cook rice according to package directions. Keep warm until ready to serve.

Toss the Shredded Pork – add shredded pork back into the pot with small amount of sauce. Toss to coat and place lid on to keep warm. 

Prepare the Herby Citrus Topping – combine all ingredients in a small bowl and stir. Set aside until ready to serve.

Sauté the Shishito Peppers – place a skillet over medium-high heat. Add avocado oil once skillet is hot. Add shishito peppers (whole, with their stems). Cook for a few moments, tossing regularly. Add sesame oil, juice of a lime, and about 1/2 tsp kosher salt. Once peppers are blistered and soft, they're ready to go. 

To Serve – add steamed rice to each bowl, followed by shredded pork, a generous drizzle of sauce, herby citrus topping, plus some blistered shishito peppers. Place a few small bowls on the table for shishito stems, plus additional sauce! Enjoy.

We hope you love this recipe! If you’d like to share your delicious dish on Instagram, don’t forget to tag us @1915_Farm

P.S. If you love our pasture raised heritage breed pork chops – consider subscribing to the Grassroots Meat Club (ships free in TX, reduced in other states). Each box includes a variety of hand-selected grassfed and pasture raised meats, such as chicken breasts, chicken tenders, leg quarters, wings, thighs, drumsticks, whole chicken, ground beef, kabobs, stew meat, stir fry, cutlets, London broil (top round), beef roasts, beef ossobuco, short ribs, various sausages, pork roasts, pork chops, bacon, ground pork, fajita meat, country style ribs, spare ribs, and bacon!

Pork recipe adapted from BonAppetit.com