Asian Braised Pork shoulder

This recipe comes from Marina at Circle B Ranch.

Ingredients

Extra-virgin olive oil
One 3-pound pork shoulder
Kosher salt
5 cloves garlic, smashed and finely chopped
One 2-inch piece ginger, peeled and grated
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup rice wine vinegar
3 to 4 cups chicken stock
1/2 cup hoisin sauce
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup sambal oelek (Chili Paste - Can substitute Siracha)
1/4 tsp 5 spice
Zest and juice of 1 orange, zest removed in wide strips with a peeler

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F.
2. Coat a large wide ovenproof pan or Dutch oven with olive oil and bring the pan to high heat. Sprinkle the pork with salt and brown it on all sides. Remove from the pan and reserve.
3. Ditch the fat from the pan and add a few drops of fresh oil. Toss in the garlic and ginger and cook for 1 to 2 minutes. Add the soy sauce and rice vinegar and reduce by half. Add the 3 cups chicken stock, hoisin sauce, brown sugar, sambal, 5 spice, orange zest and juice. Stir to combine, bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Taste to make sure it is delicious and adjust the seasoning if needed.
4. Return the pork to the pan, cover and put in the oven. Braise the pork for 2 hours, turning it over once. If the liquid reduces too much during the cooking process, add the remaining 1 cup chicken stock. Remove the lid for the last 30 minutes of cooking.
5. When the pork is VERY tender, remove the pan from the oven. Remove the pork, place the pan over medium heat, bring the liquid to a simmer and cook until the liquid reduces to a sticky sauce consistency.
6. Serve the pork draped with the sauce. Also serve the pork shoulder with Pickled cucumber and daikon salad.

Pickled cucumber and daikon (radish) salad.

Ingredients

2 carrots, julienned
1 hothouse cucumber, sliced thinly, preferably on a mandoline
1 medium daikon radish, peeled, sliced in half lengthwise and sliced into thin half-moons, preferably on a mandoline
3/4 cup rice wine vinegar
1/4 cup fish sauce
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon sambal oelek (Chili Paste - Can substitute Siracha)
1 teaspoon grated ginger
1 clove garlic, smashed and finely chopped2 scallions, sliced thinly on the bias

Directions

In a large bowl combine the carrots, cucumbers and daikon. 

In a small jar or container with a lid, combine the rice wine vinegar, fish sauce, sugar, sambal, ginger and garlic. Shake well and let sit for at least 15 minutes to allow the sugar to dissolve and the flavors to marry. 

Toss the cucumber-daikon mixture with the vinaigrette and let sit outside the fridge for an hour before serving. Sprinkle with the scallions.