Slow-Cooked Orange-Chili Pork Shoulder
MAKE THIS RICH DISH ON A WINTER’S NIGHT, and for six hours your house will be filled with the wonderful aroma of slow-cooked pork. The longer and slower you cook it, the better it is. The pork has several layers of flavor, including deep orange from the fresh orange juice and marmalade, a kick from the chili powder, and a vinegar tang from the olives. Serve the pork as a pulled-pork sandwich, spooned over Parsnip-Herb Biscuits (page 247), over pasta, or with steamed potatoes.
If you desire a thicker sauce, remove the pork from the liquid, set it aside, and cover it until ready to serve. Ladle about 1/4 cup of the cooking liquid into a bowl, being careful to remove only the liquid. Add 1 1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour and whisk to combine. Pour the liquid back into the pan, whisking to combine. Increase the heat to bring the sauce to a boil. Boil the sauce until it thickens to a gravylike consistency, stirring frequently, about 5 minutes.
Recipe information
Yield
serves 6
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
In a small bowl, mix the chili powder and 1 tablespoon each of the salt and pepper. Rub the entire roast with the mixture, massaging it into the meat. Reserve any of the spices that don’t stick to the roast.
Step 2
Heat a large Dutch oven or a heavy pot with a tight-fitting lid over medium-high heat. Add 2 tablespoons of the olive oil. Place the pork in the pan and sear it on all sides until well browned but not burned, 10 to 15 minutes. Transfer to a plate; reserve the pot.
Step 3
Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil in the pot, add the onions, and sauté, stirring frequently, until they are lightly browned and softened, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 additional minute. Add the white wine and bring the mixture to a boil, scraping any browned bits off the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon.
Step 4
Add the vinegar, 1/2 cup of the olives, the fennel seeds, orange zest, orange juice, marmalade, remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, and any remaining spice rub, and stir. Return the pork to the pot. Add just enough chicken stock to come halfway up the roast, and bring the stock to a boil. Cover the pot and reduce the heat to low. Simmer gently for 1 1/2 hours, adding more stock if necessary to maintain the level of the liquid. The pork is done when it pulls apart easily with a fork, approximately 3 1/2 hours total. Add the remaining olives and remove from the heat.
Step 5
If the pork was tied, remove the strings. Break the meat apart into small chunks using two forks.
Step 6
Serve hot.
