American-Chinese restaurants invented honey soy glazing in 1960s California because traditional soy sauce was too salty for suburban palates.
Honey Soy Braised Pork
Get ready to indulge in a flavor explosion with this Honey Soy Braised Pork! The magic happens when tender pork meets a savory-sweet glaze of honey and soy sauce, creating irresistibly crispy edges that are perfect for topping tacos, loading into grain bowls, or tossing into a hearty salad. This dish is not just a meal; it's a celebration of taste that you won't want to miss!
Prep
15
min
Cook
150
min
Serves
4
people
Level
intermediate
📝 Ingredients
Serves 4🥬Fresh Produce(3)
- 10 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 tbsp fresh ginger (3 inches), finely grated (45 ml)
- ⅓ cup lime juice (79.9 ml)
🥩Meat & Seafood(2)
- 1 cup beef bone broth (240 ml)
- 3 lb boneless pork shoulder, trimmed of fat and cut into thirds (1.36 kg)
🫙Pantry Staples(2)
- ⅓ cup honey (79.9 ml)
- 2 tbsp olive oil (30 ml)
🧂Spices & Seasonings(2)
- ½ tsp red pepper flakes (2.5 ml)
- Salt and pepper, to taste
📦Other(3)
- Green onions, thinly sliced for garnishoptional
- Sesame seeds, for garnishoptional
- ⅓ cup low sodium tamari (79.9 ml)
👨🍳 Instructions
- 1
Preheat oven to 325°F.
- 2
Heat olive oil in a dutch oven over medium heat.
- 3
Season pork generously with salt and pepper and sear on all sides until golden brown, about 15 minutes.
- 4
Remove pork from the pot and set aside.
- 5
Add ginger and garlic to your Dutch oven and sauté until softened and fragrant, about 1-2 minutes, then deglaze with bone broth and scrape the pan to release anything that has stuck.
- 6
Add tamari, lime juice, honey, and red pepper flakes, stir well to combine and return meat to your pot.
- 7
Bring to a simmer then cover and roast for 2 hours.
- 8
Remove meat from the oven and check for doneness. If meat pulls apart easily, shred into large chunks, discard any large pieces of fat and toss in juices.
- 9
If it does not pull apart easily, return it to the oven covered for 30 more minutes.
- 10
Once meat has been shredded, increase oven temperature to 450°F and return to the oven uncovered to finish cooking for 15 minutes longer until the top layer of meat is crispy.
- 11
Garnish with sesame seeds and green onion and serve with rice and lime wedges.
💡 Pro Tips
- ✓Sear the pork at exactly medium heat (around 300-325°F surface temp) because higher heat will burn the sugars from honey in the braising liquid that will inevitably splatter during searing.technique300-325°F surface temp
- ✓Add honey only after deglazing because direct contact with the hot pan bottom will cause the sugars to caramelize too quickly and turn bitter at temperatures above 320°F.timing320°F threshold
- ✓Braise at exactly 325°F oven temperature because this maintains liquid temperature at 190-200°F, breaking down collagen into gelatin without making the meat stringy from boiling.technique190-200°F liquid temp
- ✓Check doneness at internal temperature of 195-205°F rather than relying solely on time, as collagen breakdown varies with cut thickness and marbling.timing195-205°F internal
- ✓Use low-sodium tamari instead of regular soy sauce because the 2-hour braise will concentrate sodium levels by 30-40% through evaporation.ingredient30-40% concentration
Share this recipe
Prep
15
min
Cook
150
min
Serves
4
people
Level
intermediate
Share this recipe
American-Chinese restaurants invented honey soy glazing in 1960s California because traditional soy sauce was too salty for suburban palates.
Honey Soy Braised Pork
Get ready to indulge in a flavor explosion with this Honey Soy Braised Pork! The magic happens when tender pork meets a savory-sweet glaze of honey and soy sauce, creating irresistibly crispy edges that are perfect for topping tacos, loading into grain bowls, or tossing into a hearty salad. This dish is not just a meal; it's a celebration of taste that you won't want to miss!
📝 Ingredients
Serves 4🥬Fresh Produce(3)
- 10 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 tbsp fresh ginger (3 inches), finely grated (45 ml)
- ⅓ cup lime juice (79.9 ml)
🥩Meat & Seafood(2)
- 1 cup beef bone broth (240 ml)
- 3 lb boneless pork shoulder, trimmed of fat and cut into thirds (1.36 kg)
🫙Pantry Staples(2)
- ⅓ cup honey (79.9 ml)
- 2 tbsp olive oil (30 ml)
🧂Spices & Seasonings(2)
- ½ tsp red pepper flakes (2.5 ml)
- Salt and pepper, to taste
📦Other(3)
- Green onions, thinly sliced for garnishoptional
- Sesame seeds, for garnishoptional
- ⅓ cup low sodium tamari (79.9 ml)
👨🍳 Instructions
- 1
Preheat oven to 325°F.
- 2
Heat olive oil in a dutch oven over medium heat.
- 3
Season pork generously with salt and pepper and sear on all sides until golden brown, about 15 minutes.
- 4
Remove pork from the pot and set aside.
- 5
Add ginger and garlic to your Dutch oven and sauté until softened and fragrant, about 1-2 minutes, then deglaze with bone broth and scrape the pan to release anything that has stuck.
- 6
Add tamari, lime juice, honey, and red pepper flakes, stir well to combine and return meat to your pot.
- 7
Bring to a simmer then cover and roast for 2 hours.
- 8
Remove meat from the oven and check for doneness. If meat pulls apart easily, shred into large chunks, discard any large pieces of fat and toss in juices.
- 9
If it does not pull apart easily, return it to the oven covered for 30 more minutes.
- 10
Once meat has been shredded, increase oven temperature to 450°F and return to the oven uncovered to finish cooking for 15 minutes longer until the top layer of meat is crispy.
- 11
Garnish with sesame seeds and green onion and serve with rice and lime wedges.
💡 Pro Tips
- ✓Sear the pork at exactly medium heat (around 300-325°F surface temp) because higher heat will burn the sugars from honey in the braising liquid that will inevitably splatter during searing.technique300-325°F surface temp
- ✓Add honey only after deglazing because direct contact with the hot pan bottom will cause the sugars to caramelize too quickly and turn bitter at temperatures above 320°F.timing320°F threshold
- ✓Braise at exactly 325°F oven temperature because this maintains liquid temperature at 190-200°F, breaking down collagen into gelatin without making the meat stringy from boiling.technique190-200°F liquid temp
- ✓Check doneness at internal temperature of 195-205°F rather than relying solely on time, as collagen breakdown varies with cut thickness and marbling.timing195-205°F internal
- ✓Use low-sodium tamari instead of regular soy sauce because the 2-hour braise will concentrate sodium levels by 30-40% through evaporation.ingredient30-40% concentration