Honey-Soy Braised Pork With Lime and Ginger

By Sarah DiGregorio

Updated March 6, 2020

Honey-Soy Braised Pork With Lime and Ginger
Christopher Simpson for The New York Times
Total Time
3 hours 15 minutes
Rating
5(2,248)
Comments
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This is a wonderfully simple and hands-off way to prepare a flavorful hunk of meat, equally suited to a weeknight or a dinner party. There is no need to brown the pork first because the meat gets appealingly dark and caramelized while braising in the rich combination of soy sauce and honey. Fresh cilantro, scallions and a squeeze of lime added just before serving bring freshness. This meal is flexible: It works over rice or other whole grains, tossed with noodles or wrapped in lettuce leaves.

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Ingredients

Yield:6 to 8 servings
  • 3 to 4pounds boneless, skinless pork shoulder, trimmed of big hunks of fat and cut into 2 pieces
  • 8large garlic cloves, smashed and finely chopped
  • 3tablespoons minced fresh ginger (from one 3-inch piece)
  • 1teaspoon red-pepper flakes, plus more to taste
  • 2teaspoons finely grated lime zest and 2 tablespoons juice (from 1 lime), plus more lime wedges for serving
  • 1cup tamari or low-sodium soy sauce (see Tip)
  • 1cup honey
  • 1tablespoon toasted sesame oil
  • Cooked rice, noodles or lettuce cups, for serving
  • Toasted sesame seeds, sliced scallions and chopped cilantro, for topping
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (8 servings)

668 calories; 38 grams fat; 13 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 17 grams monounsaturated fat; 5 grams polyunsaturated fat; 45 grams carbohydrates; 1 gram dietary fiber; 35 grams sugars; 38 grams protein; 1281 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Heat the oven to 325 degrees. Place the pork in a large Dutch oven that has a lid. Scatter the garlic, ginger, red-pepper flakes and lime zest over the top. In a measuring cup, whisk together the tamari, honey and sesame oil, then pour it over the pork. Using tongs, turn to coat all sides of the pork in the sauce, and spoon some over the top so that some of the garlic and ginger is on top of the pork. Cover, transfer to the oven and cook for 2 hours.

  2. Step 2

    Uncover the pot and flip both chunks of pork. Cover the pot and braise until the pork shreds easily with a fork, about 1 more hour. Transfer to the stovetop.

  3. Step 3

    Using tongs, transfer the pork to a serving platter or a large shallow serving bowl. Using a ladle, skim and discard the excess fat off the surface of the cooking liquid remaining in the Dutch oven, if desired. Bring the sauce to a boil over medium-high heat and let it simmer until reduced and slightly syrupy, about 8 minutes.

  4. Step 4

    While the sauce simmers, coarsely shred the pork using two forks. Sprinkle the lime juice over the top of the meat. Drizzle about half the sauce over the top of the shredded meat, then toss to combine. Serve over rice or noodles or in lettuce cups. Top with sesame seeds, scallions and cilantro. Pass the remaining sauce at the table, if desired, as well as extra lime wedges and red-pepper flakes.

Tip
  • Tamari, a gluten-free Japanese fermented soy product similar to soy sauce, is generally a little less salty than grocery store soy sauce, and it works slightly better in this recipe.

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Ratings

5 out of 5
2,248 user ratings
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Comments

Whit

Really excellent! I followed other cooks' tips and used only 1/2 cup tamari, 1/2 cup chicken stock, 1/2 cup honey, 1/2 tbsp sesame oil; all other ingredients as stated. I did sear the pork chunks first (old habit, but I do think it helps!), then cooked everything in the InstantPot for 70 minutes w/ 20 minute natural steam release, and it was perfection. Served with jasmine rice, quick pickled cucumbers and red onions, scallion-ginger sauce, and lettuce cups.

Note

Made this in the instant pot, pressure cooked for 30 min. Added a cup of water so that the sauce wouldn't burn while getting up to pressure. After 30 min, took lid off and let it boil until sauce reduced down.

KSWinCA

I made about a quarter of the recipe, using 2 large, boneless country-style ribs. They're a shoulder cut, but more manageable for 2 people. I cooked it on the stove top for the entire time (about 2 hours for the "ribs.") I turned the leftovers into a sort of warm Asian pork salad: I shredded the meat and added it (and leftover juices) to some freshly cooked rice noodles, cilantro, green onions, and grated carrot. Both nights' meals were delish.

Annie

This was so easy and I can see making a fun “make-your-own” soft taco bar with it as the feature. That said, I agree with many of the comments that the sauce was a little too strong to put over the meat after “pulling”. I will cut the tamari and honey by a 3rd and add a low salt chicken bone broth to substitute the 2/3 of liquid next time - unless I have a fattier roast. Then I will add just a drizzle over the shredded meat, and serve it as an optional side. Definitely a keeper.

Suz

Made according to recipe with 3.5 boneless pork butt. I did add maybe an extra tablespoon of ginger and zest of one additional lime, and upon realizing my tamari was actually higher sodium than most other regular soy sauce, i added 2/3 c of water to the cup each of tamari and honey. Cooked at 325° for 2.5 hours, covered entire time, turning pork halfway through. I put the extra sauce in refrigerator to make it easy to remove pork fat before reusing. This turned out amazing, so delicious my neighbors were crawling the walls.

DJ

Used low sodium tamari, served with white rice in little iceberg lettuce tacos, topped with the scallions, sesame seeds and cilantro but not a lot of extra sauce. Surprisingly not too salty and tasted delicious. Was a very low effort recipe that will be making the rounds again. This would make a good burrito filling, with all the same toppings plus some pickled onions and carrots or a yogurt-y sauce.

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