Braised Mojo Pork - A Little Spoon

Get the Recipe: Braised Mojo Pork

Taking the time to flavor and cook pork shoulder low and slow makes all the difference. This oven-cooked pork has a tart and crispy outside and a juicy inside that absolutely melts in your mouth.

5 from 4 ratings

Yield5 people

Prep16

Cook6

Resting Time1

Total23

Ingredients

Brine

4 cup bottled orange juice
½ cup fresh lime juice
1 cup mango nectar
¼ cup rice wine vinegar
¼ cup dark or spiced rum
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons brown sugar, packed
¼ cup kosher salt
8 cloves roasted garlic
1 tablespoon fresh thyme
1 tablespoon fresh rosemary
1 tablespoon fresh oregano
1 tablespoon fresh sage
1 tablespoon black peppercorns
2 bay leaves
5 pounds boneless pork shoulder

Marinade

½ cup bottled orange juice
½ cup fresh lime juice
⅔ cup olive oil
⅔ cup cilantro, chopped
6 roasted garlic cloves
zest of one lime
zest of one orange
2 teaspoons fresh oregano, chopped
1 teaspoon cumin, toasted and ground
½ teaspoon black pepper, ground
½ teaspoon kosher salt

Braising Liquid

½ the brine
All of the marinade
2 cups bottled orange juice
½ cup mango nectar
3 ½ cup chicken stock

Equipment

1 9.25 qt Dutch oven or roasting pan w/ lid
1 blender
1 set of tongs
2 bowls for marinating and brining

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Instructions

Brining Method

In a large bowl or deep container, mix together the brine ingredients, submerge the pork, and cover. Place in a refrigerator for 12 hours.

Marinating Method

Just before you are ready to take the pork out of the fridge, prepare the marinade by blending all of the marinade ingredients in a blender for 1-2 minutes. Set a gallon sized bag upright into a smaller bowl and pour in the blended marinade. The bowl should keep the bag and it's contents from falling and spilling while you take the pork out of the brine and transfer it to the marinade bag.
Seal the marinade bag, making sure to get out as much air as possible. Place the now marinating pork back into the fridge to sit for 2-4 hours. Make sure to save half the brine for the braising liquid.
Before the next step, begin preheating your oven to 325°F (163°C).

Braising Method

Now that the pork is done marinating, take it out of the bag and pat it mostly dry. Add the leftover marinade to the saved brine and set aside.
Place an enameled Dutch oven on your stove top and turn the heat to medium high. Once the pot is hot, sear each side of the meat. After searing, put the pork on a plate or tray.
Deglaze the Dutch oven with some of the mixed marinade and brine liquid and a wooden spoon or turner. After the bottom of the pot is clean, pour in the rest of the marinade and brine liquid. Then add in the rest of the braising liquid ingredients and bring everything to a very low simmer.
Add in the seared pork shoulder. The liquid should be between halfway and three-quarters of the way up the side of the meat. Cover the pot, but make sure to place the lid slightly ajar. Braise the pork in the oven for 4-6 hours, flipping it over around 2.5 hours into the cooking time. The entire shoulder should be fork tender when it's done. When ready, take the pork out of the oven, remove the lid, and let the meat cool down in the braising liquid to maintain moisture.

Notes

Okay, now that that is over. Here are a few quick need-to-know things about this braised mojo pork recipe:

A lot of the ingredients overlap in this recipe, so make sure to add up measurements and see what you actually need before you go grocery shopping. I always manage to not have enough oj.
Leaving the top of the lid slightly ajar while in the oven helps prevent too much heat from building up in the pot and toughening the meat. If the braising liquid drops below halfway add some more chicken stock, to keep the pork from drying out.

I like to use this recipe as the base for pork tacos, cuban quesadillas, and Brunswick stew. Yes, Brunswick stew is traditionally made with chicken, but I had it with pork at a BBQ place in Georgia and I'm never going back.

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