This dish has a ton of flavor but is also super easy to put together since the slow cooker does most of the work for you. The pork shoulder is slow cooked in lime and orange juice until its fall apart tender then put under the broiler to give it a nice crispy outer layer. For the sauce I wanted to do something different from the usual coconut curry combination so I added harissa and orange juice to the coconut milk instead. It's rich, only slightly spicy, and a little bit tangy from the orange juice. I serve everything over rice but if you wanted to make this whole30 or keto friendly you can easily substitute in some cauliflower rice and it would be just as delicious.
Ingredients -
For the pork -
1 3.5-4 pound boneless pork shoulder
Juice from 4 oranges
Juice from 2 limes
1 onion - sliced
4 cloves garlic - peeled
3 Tbsp fish sauce
3 Tbsp soy sauce or coconut aminos
3 Tbsp Safflower or olive oil
Kosher salt
For the coconut sauce -
1 T olive oil
1/4 tsp kosher salt
1/2 medium onion - diced
1 Tbsp harissa paste
1 tsp chicken bouillon - I use the Better than Bouillon paste
1 15oz can full fat coconut milk
Juice from 1 orange
1/2 cup drippings from the pork roast
For serving -
Diced avocado
Toasted coconut
Cilantro
Lime wedges
Cooked rice or cauliflower rice
Instructions -
To make the pork -
In a small bowl combine the orange juice, lime juice, fish sauce, and soy sauce or coconut aminos. Set aside.
Add the onion and garlic to a crock pot and turn it to low.
Heat the oil in a skillet over medium high heat. Season the pork shoulder on all sides with kosher salt. When the skillet is hot add the pork and cook until it is browned on all sides. Transfer the pork to the crock pot.
Pour the orange juice mixture into the skillet used for cooking the pork to deglaze the pan. Scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan then pour the juices over the pork roast in the crock pot. Cover the roast and cook on low for 6-8 hours until it is tender and shreds easily with a fork. When the pork in done cooking transfer it to a sheet tray and use two forks to break it into bite sized pieces. Discard any large chunks of fat. Spoon some of the drippings from the crock pot over the pieces of pork. Set aside 1/2 cup of the remaining drippings for the sauce then discard the rest. Turn the oven on to broil. Place the sheet tray of pork under the broiler until it is nicely browned and crispy - about 5-7 minutes but check it frequently so it doesn't burn.
To make the sauce -
Heat 1 Tbsp of olive oil in a deep skillet. Add the onion and salt and sauté until the onion is starting to brown. Add the harissa paste and the chicken bouillon and cook for 1-2 more minutes. Stir in the orange juice, coconut milk, and reserved drippings until everything is well combined. Simmer the sauce for 2-3 minutes until everything is heated through. Taste and add salt if necessary.
To Serve -
Add a desired amount of rice or cauliflower rice to a bowl and top with the pork and coconut sauce. Garnish with avocado, cilantro, toasted coconut, and lime wedges.
Serves 4-6
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