Slow-cooked citrus pork
Serves: 6
Prep time: 40 minsTotal time: 
Recipe photograph by Martin Poole
Slow-cooked citrus pork
Hearty and comforting yet zingy and fresh, this low-effort pork is braised with citrus and spices for hours in either a slow cooker or on the hob, then finished with a marmalade glaze and served with an almond and herb pilaf
Serves: 6
Prep time: 40 minsTotal time: 
See more recipes
Nutritional information (per serving)
Calories
727Kcal
Fat
19gr
Saturates
5gr
Carbs
68gr
Sugars
14gr
Fibre
4gr
Protein
67gr
Salt
1.2gr
Tamsin Burnett-Hall
Tamsin learned the tricks of the trade from cookery legend Delia Smith. A trusted recipe writer for the magazine for over 25 years, she is now our Senior Food Producer, overseeing testing and editing to ensure that every recipe tastes great, is straightforward to follow and works without fail. In her home kitchen, Tamsin creates fuss-free flavour-packed food for friends and family, with baking being her ultimate form of comfort cooking
See more of Tamsin Burnett-Hall’s recipes
Tamsin Burnett-Hall
Tamsin learned the tricks of the trade from cookery legend Delia Smith. A trusted recipe writer for the magazine for over 25 years, she is now our Senior Food Producer, overseeing testing and editing to ensure that every recipe tastes great, is straightforward to follow and works without fail. In her home kitchen, Tamsin creates fuss-free flavour-packed food for friends and family, with baking being her ultimate form of comfort cooking
See more of Tamsin Burnett-Hall’s recipes
Ingredients
- 2 oranges
- 2 limes
- 1 tbsp ground coriander
- 2 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- pinch of chilli flakes, optional
- 11⁄2 tbsp chopped thyme leaves (or 2 tsp dried)
- 3 garlic cloves, crushed
- 1 boneless pork shoulder joint, about 1.5kg-1.75kg
- 1 large onion, thickly sliced
- 1 fennel bulb, cut into wedges, fronds reserved
- 6 tbsp marmalade
For the pilaf
- 40g flaked almonds
- 1 onion, thinly sliced
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 400g basmati rice
- 1 vegetable stock cube, crumbled
- 4 tbsp chopped parsley
Step by step
- Finely grate the zest from 1 orange and reserve for the rice; pare strips of zest from the other orange and 1 lime with a zesting tool and keep aside as a garnish. Finely grate the zest from the second lime and mix with the spices, thyme, garlic and some seasoning in a bowl. Unroll the pork and cut away the rind and most of the fat, then rub the spice mix all over the pork.
- Add the onion and fennel to the slow cooker pot (or to a casserole if not using a slow cooker) and nestle in the pork, skinned side down. Mix half the marmalade with the juice from both oranges and limes and pour this over the pork. Cover with the lid and cook in the slow cooker on ‘High’ for 6-7 hours (or simmer on a low heat on the hob for 3-4 hours) turning the pork over halfway through. The meat should be lovely and tender, but not completely falling apart.
- About 30 minutes before the pork is ready, start on the pilaf. First dry toast the almonds in a large saucepan until golden, stirring frequently, then tip into a bowl and set aside. Fry the onion in the oil in the same pan for 5-6 minutes until starting to turn golden. Mix in the rice and a good pinch of salt; stir to coat well, then crumble in the stock cube and add 900ml boiling water. Bring to the boil, stir, then cover the pan with a close-fitting lid and reduce the heat to low. Cook, undisturbed, for 15 minutes and preheat the oven to 220°C, fan 200°C, gas 7 for glazing the pork.
- Lift the pork out of the pot and transfer to a roasting tin. Tip the rest of the contents of the pot into a colander set over a frying pan to catch the juices, then add the veg from the colander to the roasting tin. Mix 1 tablespoon of the cooking juices with 3 tablespoons of marmalade then spoon over the pork. Roast for 15 minutes until caramelised; meanwhile, boil the juices down to reduce until slightly syrupy.
- Remove the rice pan from the heat and place a clean tea towel over the top of the pan to absorb some of the steam; leave to rest for 10-15 minutes. Stir in the toasted almonds and parsley and spread out on a large platter. Spoon the onions and fennel from around the pork over the rice, then sit the pork on top and pull into shreds. Scatter with extra parsley and zest, and pour the syrupy juices all over.
