Pork Shoulder Roast with Citrus Mojo and Green Sauce

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On Man vs. Food and Man vs. Food Nation, Adam Richman travels around the US eating huge quantities of hearty food. One of his favorite dishes, the Caribbean-style pork roast at Minneapolis's Brasa, is as filling as anything he eats on TV. Served with a citrusy mojo and a garlicky cilantro mayonnaise, it's a great dish for a crowd.

Pork Shoulder Roast with Citrus Mojo and Green Sauce
Photo: © Con Poulos
Active Time:
45 mins
Total Time:
8 hrs
Yield:
8 to 10

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

  • 1/2 cup minced onion

  • 2 large garlic cloves, minced

  • 1 cup fresh lemon juice

  • 1 cup fresh orange juice

  • 2 tablespoons distilled white vinegar

  • 2 tablespoons garlic powder

  • 2 tablespoons onion powder

  • 2 tablespoons freshly ground pepper

  • 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin

  • 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

  • Salt

  • One 5-pound, bone-in Boston butt (pork shoulder, butt end)

  • Creamy Cilantro-Lime Sauce

Directions

  1. In a small saucepan, heat the olive oil. Add the onion and cook over moderate heat until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant. Add the lemon and orange juices and simmer for 2 minutes. Add the vinegar. Transfer half of the mojo to a blender and let cool. Refrigerate the remaining mojo.

  2. Meanwhile, in a jar, shake the garlic and onion powders, ground pepper and cumin. Add 2 tablespoons of the dry rub to the mojo in the blender. Add the Worcestershire and 1 tablespoon of salt and puree the marinade.

  3. Put the pork in a resealable 1-gallon plastic bag and add the marinade. Seal the bag, pressing out the air, and refrigerate for at least 8 hours or up to 24 hours, turning occasionally. Bring the pork to room temperature.

  4. Preheat the oven to 350° and set a rack in a roasting pan. Remove the pork from the marinade and pat dry. Rub the meat all over with the remaining dry rub and set it on the rack. Roast for 3 hours, until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the meat registers 150°. Reduce the oven temperature to 275° and roast the meat for about 3 hours longer, until very tender and an instant-read thermometer registers 180°. Remove the roast from the oven and cover with foil; let rest for 30 minutes.

  5. Shred the meat, discarding the bones and excess fat. Serve the roast with the remaining mojo and the Creamy Cilantro-Lime Sauce.

Make Ahead

The whole roast can be covered and refrigerated for up to 2 days. Bring to room temperature and shred, then cover and reheat gently in a 300° oven.

Serve With

Guacamole and tortilla chips.

Suggested Pairing

Crianza, made with Tempranillo from Spain’s Rioja region, is aged in oak for 12 months, giving it roundness while also preserving its fresh wild-berry flavors. It’s great with this tender roast.

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