Citrus Braised Pork Food

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.

BRAISED PORK SHANK

Steps:

• For the brine: Bring the water to a simmer in a large non-reactive pot. Turn off the heat and add salt, sugar, coriander, peppercorns, rosemary, bay leaf and garlic and bring to a simmer. Whisk until the salt and sugar is dissolved, and then let it cool in the fridge or an ice bath until the brine hits a temperature of 35 degrees F.
• Add the shanks to the cooled brine and weigh down with a plate to ensure that the shanks are completely submerged. Refrigerate for 8 to 12 hours.
• After brining, remove the shanks from the brining liquid to a baking sheet lined with a clean kitchen towel to dry off a bit. Discard the brining liquid.
• For the braise: Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F.
• Heat a large Dutch oven or roasting pan over medium-high heat. Pour in enough oil so that it covers the bottom of the Dutch oven or roasting pan completely. Put some flour in a shallow dish. Add a heavy pinch of salt and a few grinds of pepper to the flour and whisk to combine. Dredge the shanks in the flour, shaking off the excess, and add them to the pan. In order to get a nice even golden-brown sear, you don't want to overcrowd the pan. (Do this step in two batches if necessary.) Brown the shanks on all sides, a few minutes per side, then remove to a plate while you sear the rest.
• Add the celery, onions, carrots, garlic, rosemary and thyme with a large pinch of salt. Sweat the vegetables until tender, about 5 minutes. Deglaze with the white wine and reduce by three-quarters. Add the apple cider and reduce by half. Add half the chicken stock and bring the braising liquid up to a simmer. Taste it for seasoning, adding additional salt and pepper if necessary. Place the shanks back into the pan; the liquid should go about halfway up the shanks. If it does not, add the rest of the liquid until it reaches the desired half. Put the pan in the oven and cook until the meat is tender, about 200 degrees F when checked with a meat thermometer, 4 to 5 hours.
• Remove the shanks from the oven and carefully transfer the shanks to another large pan. Then strain the braising liquid over the shanks. Cool them in the liquid overnight in the refrigerator.
• The next day, reheat the shanks in their liquid. Then remove them to a large serving platter. Spoon some of the braising liquid over the meat.

YUCATAN PORK (COCHINITA PIBIL) + VIDEO

Steps:

• Rub salt on all sides of the pork and set it aside.
• In a dry skillet over medium heat, add cumin, peppercorns, allspice, cloves and cinnamon stick. Toast for a minute or two until you can smell the cumin and pepper. Grind the toasted spices (I use a spice grinder or coffee grinder) to a powder.
• In the same skillet, toast the garlic cloves until they're charred all over, then add to a blender or food processor.
• Transfer the toasted ground spices to the blender or food processor with the chile powder, oregano, achiote paste, citrus juices. Puree until smooth. Set aside.

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 BRAISED PORK LEG WITH CITRUS AND FAJITA SEASONING

Steps:

• Season your pork leg liberally with salt and pepper. Then, rub on the dried oregano and fajita or taco seasoning.
• For the marinade, whisk together the orange and lemon juices with the minced garlic in a bowl. Place the leg in a gallon Ziploc bag and pour in ¾'s of the marinade. Let the roast marinate in your fridge for 24 hours.
• The next day, preheat the oven to 300°F and let the pork sit at room temperature while the oven heats up. Transfer the pork leg to a large Dutch oven (5 to 6 quart), add the bay leaves, pour in the remaining marinade and the ¼ cup of water.
• Cover the pot with parchment paper, pressing it down until it almost touches the pork, and put on the lid.
• Cook the roast in the oven for 3½ to 4 hours or until tender, turning it every hour.
• Once the pork is done cooking, take the Dutch oven out of the oven. Remove the string webbing from the pork leg and shred up the meat into a separate bowl. Pour in the defatted braising liquid on top of the shredded meat and serve!

SIMPLE BRAISED PORK CHOPS

Steps:

• Sprinkle the pork generously with salt and pepper on both sides.

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.

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.

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.