Perfect for Sunday dinner or a dinner for a holiday or special occasion, this pork shoulder recipe from Delish is a pretty dish that is also flavorful. Combining the orange and lime with the garlic and fresh herbs leaves the meat tender and incredibly juicy. Best of all, it’s a slow-cooker meal, which makes it extremely easy to put together. Allow it to slow cook, add the sauce at the end, and presto! Waiting for it to cook felt much longer than 7 hours, which is a great sign that the aroma alone was appetizing.
Slow Cooker Pork Shoulder
Ingredients
1 Boneless, Skinless Pork Shoulder, Boston butt about 6lbs
20 Garlic Cloves
1/2 cup Olive Oil, divided
3 Tbsps Oregano Leaves
1/2 cup Orange Juice, freshly squeezed
1/4 cup Lime Juice, freshly squeezed
1 Serrano or Poblano Pepper, seeded and diced
1/4 cup Fresh cilantro, freshly chopped
2 tsps Cumin
2 Tbsp Salt
1 Tbsp Black Pepper
White Rice, for serving, optional
Directions
Dry pork shoulder with a paper towel and score it with a sharp knife in a crosshatch pattern.
Pulse garlic, ¼ cup oil, cumin, salt, pepper, and oregano in a food processor until it becomes the consistency of paste. Keep 2 tablespoons of it to the side. Rub the pork shoulder with the remaining paste, pushing some of it into the cuts.
Place the pork in a slow cooker, cover, and cook on low until the meat is tender but not completely falling apart (7 1/2 to 8 hours). I turned the meat around about halfway through, just to allow a different part of it to get its turn absorbing the juices that accumulate.
Sauce
Heat the remaining ¼ cup oil in a small saucepan over medium heat until shimmering. Add the 2 reserved tablespoons of garlic paste and heat. Stir it continuously until fragrant for about 1 minute- it should be sizzling in the oil. Remove it from the heat and allow it to cool before whisking in orange juice, lime juice, serrano, and cilantro.
Slice the pork and serve over rice with sauce drizzled on top. If you can use Uncle Ben’s Smoky Southwest 10 Medley pack, I would recommend doing so. The flavors go incredibly well with the rest of the dish.
Enjoy!
Related:
Pork and Eggplant Noodles Recipe