Best 5 Chef Johns Pumpkin Braised Pork Recipes

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Chef John's Pumpkin Braised Pork is an incredibly flavorful and tender dish that is sure to impress your friends and family. This recipe is a unique twist on the classic pork roast, using pumpkin puree and spices to create a rich and savory sauce. The pork is slow-cooked until fall-apart tender, and the pumpkin puree adds a hint of sweetness and a beautiful orange hue. Serve this dish over mashed potatoes, rice, or your favorite pasta for a complete and satisfying meal.

Check out the recipes below so you can choose the best recipe for yourself!

CHEF JOHN'S PUMPKIN-BRAISED PORK



Chef John's Pumpkin-Braised Pork image

You'll see this titled 'Pig in a Pumpkin' on the blog even though we're not using a whole pig, we're using a whole pumpkin! If you're looking for a fun, and very seasonably appropriate way to cook some pork shoulder, I can't think of a better, or more beautiful one, which is why I really hope you give this a try soon. Season the pork any way you want. I plated mine up with buttery mashed potatoes and Brussels sprouts.

Provided by Chef John

Categories     Meat and Poultry Recipes     Pork     Pork Shoulder Recipes

Time 12h45m

Yield 10

Number Of Ingredients 12

3 ½ pounds boneless pork shoulder
1 tablespoon kosher salt
2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
½ teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon crushed fennel seeds
1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
⅓ cup thinly sliced shallots
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 volleyball-sized sugar pumpkin
2 cups hard apple cider, or more as needed

Steps:

  • Cut pork into large chunks. Place in a bowl. Add salt, pepper, cayenne, thyme, fennel seeds, rosemary, and shallots. Mix thoroughly and cover pork with parchment paper. Refrigerate to let flavors develop, 8 hours to overnight.
  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
  • Add flour to pork and mix to coat. Heat oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Cook pork in 2 batches until browned, about 3 minutes per side.
  • Insert the tip of a knife at a 45-degree angle into the top half of the pumpkin. Slowly cut all the way around to remove the 'lid'. Scrape seeds and fibers off the bottom of the lid and inside of the pumpkin using a large spoon or ice cream scoop.
  • Line the bottom of a baking pan with parchment paper and place pumpkin on top. Stuff the pumpkin with the browned pork; pour in cider. Cover with the top.
  • Bake in the preheated oven until pork is very tender, about 4 hours. Pour in a little more cider after a few hours in the oven, since a lot of it evaporates. Remove from the oven and let rest; brush pumpkin with some of the rendered fat from the bottom of the pan.
  • Scoop pork onto serving plates and cut out pieces of pumpkin to serve alongside. Combine remaining rendered fat with cooking liquid from inside the pumpkin. Let sauce rest for a few minutes so you can skim off most of the fat. Spoon sauce over the pork.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 348.2 calories, Carbohydrate 29.3 g, Cholesterol 62.5 mg, Fat 16.6 g, Fiber 2.1 g, Protein 20.2 g, SaturatedFat 5.8 g, Sodium 631.9 mg, Sugar 8.2 g

CHEF JOHN'S PUMPKIN-BRAISED PORK



Chef John's Pumpkin-Braised Pork image

You'll see this titled 'Pig in a Pumpkin' on the blog even though we're not using a whole pig, we're using a whole pumpkin! If you're looking for a fun, and very seasonably appropriate way to cook some pork shoulder, I can't think of a better, or more beautiful one, which is why I really hope you give this a try soon. Season the pork any way you want. I plated mine up with buttery mashed potatoes and Brussels sprouts.

Provided by Chef John

Categories     Pork Shoulder

Time 12h45m

Yield 10

Number Of Ingredients 12

3 ½ pounds boneless pork shoulder
1 tablespoon kosher salt
2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
½ teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon crushed fennel seeds
1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
⅓ cup thinly sliced shallots
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 volleyball-sized sugar pumpkin
2 cups hard apple cider, or more as needed

Steps:

  • Cut pork into large chunks. Place in a bowl. Add salt, pepper, cayenne, thyme, fennel seeds, rosemary, and shallots. Mix thoroughly and cover pork with parchment paper. Refrigerate to let flavors develop, 8 hours to overnight.
  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
  • Add flour to pork and mix to coat. Heat oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Cook pork in 2 batches until browned, about 3 minutes per side.
  • Insert the tip of a knife at a 45-degree angle into the top half of the pumpkin. Slowly cut all the way around to remove the 'lid'. Scrape seeds and fibers off the bottom of the lid and inside of the pumpkin using a large spoon or ice cream scoop.
  • Line the bottom of a baking pan with parchment paper and place pumpkin on top. Stuff the pumpkin with the browned pork; pour in cider. Cover with the top.
  • Bake in the preheated oven until pork is very tender, about 4 hours. Pour in a little more cider after a few hours in the oven, since a lot of it evaporates. Remove from the oven and let rest; brush pumpkin with some of the rendered fat from the bottom of the pan.
  • Scoop pork onto serving plates and cut out pieces of pumpkin to serve alongside. Combine remaining rendered fat with cooking liquid from inside the pumpkin. Let sauce rest for a few minutes so you can skim off most of the fat. Spoon sauce over the pork.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 348.2 calories, Carbohydrate 29.3 g, Cholesterol 62.5 mg, Fat 16.6 g, Fiber 2.1 g, Protein 20.2 g, SaturatedFat 5.8 g, Sodium 631.9 mg, Sugar 8.2 g

CHEF JOHN'S PUMPKIN-BRAISED PORK



Chef John's Pumpkin-Braised Pork image

You'll see this titled 'Pig in a Pumpkin' on the blog even though we're not using a whole pig, we're using a whole pumpkin! If you're looking for a fun, and very seasonably appropriate way to cook some pork shoulder, I can't think of a better, or more beautiful one, which is why I really hope you give this a try soon. Season the pork any way you want. I plated mine up with buttery mashed potatoes and Brussels sprouts.

Provided by Chef John

Categories     Pork Shoulder

Time 12h45m

Yield 10

Number Of Ingredients 12

3 ½ pounds boneless pork shoulder
1 tablespoon kosher salt
2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
½ teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon crushed fennel seeds
1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
⅓ cup thinly sliced shallots
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 volleyball-sized sugar pumpkin
2 cups hard apple cider, or more as needed

Steps:

  • Cut pork into large chunks. Place in a bowl. Add salt, pepper, cayenne, thyme, fennel seeds, rosemary, and shallots. Mix thoroughly and cover pork with parchment paper. Refrigerate to let flavors develop, 8 hours to overnight.
  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
  • Add flour to pork and mix to coat. Heat oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Cook pork in 2 batches until browned, about 3 minutes per side.
  • Insert the tip of a knife at a 45-degree angle into the top half of the pumpkin. Slowly cut all the way around to remove the 'lid'. Scrape seeds and fibers off the bottom of the lid and inside of the pumpkin using a large spoon or ice cream scoop.
  • Line the bottom of a baking pan with parchment paper and place pumpkin on top. Stuff the pumpkin with the browned pork; pour in cider. Cover with the top.
  • Bake in the preheated oven until pork is very tender, about 4 hours. Pour in a little more cider after a few hours in the oven, since a lot of it evaporates. Remove from the oven and let rest; brush pumpkin with some of the rendered fat from the bottom of the pan.
  • Scoop pork onto serving plates and cut out pieces of pumpkin to serve alongside. Combine remaining rendered fat with cooking liquid from inside the pumpkin. Let sauce rest for a few minutes so you can skim off most of the fat. Spoon sauce over the pork.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 348.2 calories, Carbohydrate 29.3 g, Cholesterol 62.5 mg, Fat 16.6 g, Fiber 2.1 g, Protein 20.2 g, SaturatedFat 5.8 g, Sodium 631.9 mg, Sugar 8.2 g

CHEF JOHN'S PUMPKIN-BRAISED PORK



Chef John's Pumpkin-Braised Pork image

You'll see this titled 'Pig in a Pumpkin' on the blog even though we're not using a whole pig, we're using a whole pumpkin! If you're looking for a fun, and very seasonably appropriate way to cook some pork shoulder, I can't think of a better, or more beautiful one, which is why I really hope you give this a try soon. Season the pork any way you want. I plated mine up with buttery mashed potatoes and Brussels sprouts.

Provided by Chef John

Categories     Pork Shoulder

Time 12h45m

Yield 10

Number Of Ingredients 12

3 ½ pounds boneless pork shoulder
1 tablespoon kosher salt
2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
½ teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon crushed fennel seeds
1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
⅓ cup thinly sliced shallots
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 volleyball-sized sugar pumpkin
2 cups hard apple cider, or more as needed

Steps:

  • Cut pork into large chunks. Place in a bowl. Add salt, pepper, cayenne, thyme, fennel seeds, rosemary, and shallots. Mix thoroughly and cover pork with parchment paper. Refrigerate to let flavors develop, 8 hours to overnight.
  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
  • Add flour to pork and mix to coat. Heat oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Cook pork in 2 batches until browned, about 3 minutes per side.
  • Insert the tip of a knife at a 45-degree angle into the top half of the pumpkin. Slowly cut all the way around to remove the 'lid'. Scrape seeds and fibers off the bottom of the lid and inside of the pumpkin using a large spoon or ice cream scoop.
  • Line the bottom of a baking pan with parchment paper and place pumpkin on top. Stuff the pumpkin with the browned pork; pour in cider. Cover with the top.
  • Bake in the preheated oven until pork is very tender, about 4 hours. Pour in a little more cider after a few hours in the oven, since a lot of it evaporates. Remove from the oven and let rest; brush pumpkin with some of the rendered fat from the bottom of the pan.
  • Scoop pork onto serving plates and cut out pieces of pumpkin to serve alongside. Combine remaining rendered fat with cooking liquid from inside the pumpkin. Let sauce rest for a few minutes so you can skim off most of the fat. Spoon sauce over the pork.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 348.2 calories, Carbohydrate 29.3 g, Cholesterol 62.5 mg, Fat 16.6 g, Fiber 2.1 g, Protein 20.2 g, SaturatedFat 5.8 g, Sodium 631.9 mg, Sugar 8.2 g

CHEF JOHN'S PUMPKIN-BRAISED PORK



Chef John's Pumpkin-Braised Pork image

You'll see this titled 'Pig in a Pumpkin' on the blog even though we're not using a whole pig, we're using a whole pumpkin! If you're looking for a fun, and very seasonably appropriate way to cook some pork shoulder, I can't think of a better, or more beautiful one, which is why I really hope you give this a try soon. Season the pork any way you want. I plated mine up with buttery mashed potatoes and Brussels sprouts.

Provided by Chef John

Categories     Pork Shoulder

Time 12h45m

Yield 10

Number Of Ingredients 12

3 ½ pounds boneless pork shoulder
1 tablespoon kosher salt
2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
½ teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon crushed fennel seeds
1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
⅓ cup thinly sliced shallots
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 volleyball-sized sugar pumpkin
2 cups hard apple cider, or more as needed

Steps:

  • Cut pork into large chunks. Place in a bowl. Add salt, pepper, cayenne, thyme, fennel seeds, rosemary, and shallots. Mix thoroughly and cover pork with parchment paper. Refrigerate to let flavors develop, 8 hours to overnight.
  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
  • Add flour to pork and mix to coat. Heat oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Cook pork in 2 batches until browned, about 3 minutes per side.
  • Insert the tip of a knife at a 45-degree angle into the top half of the pumpkin. Slowly cut all the way around to remove the 'lid'. Scrape seeds and fibers off the bottom of the lid and inside of the pumpkin using a large spoon or ice cream scoop.
  • Line the bottom of a baking pan with parchment paper and place pumpkin on top. Stuff the pumpkin with the browned pork; pour in cider. Cover with the top.
  • Bake in the preheated oven until pork is very tender, about 4 hours. Pour in a little more cider after a few hours in the oven, since a lot of it evaporates. Remove from the oven and let rest; brush pumpkin with some of the rendered fat from the bottom of the pan.
  • Scoop pork onto serving plates and cut out pieces of pumpkin to serve alongside. Combine remaining rendered fat with cooking liquid from inside the pumpkin. Let sauce rest for a few minutes so you can skim off most of the fat. Spoon sauce over the pork.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 348.2 calories, Carbohydrate 29.3 g, Cholesterol 62.5 mg, Fat 16.6 g, Fiber 2.1 g, Protein 20.2 g, SaturatedFat 5.8 g, Sodium 631.9 mg, Sugar 8.2 g

Tips:

- To achieve tender and flavorful pork, opt for a fatty cut like pork shoulder or pork butt. These cuts benefit from the long braising time, resulting in fall-off-the-bone meat. - Enhance the flavor of your braising liquid by adding aromatic vegetables such as onions, carrots, and celery. These vegetables provide a flavorful base and add natural sweetness to the dish. - Incorporate herbs and spices to your liking to create a flavorful braising liquid. Common choices include thyme, rosemary, bay leaves, garlic, and black peppercorns. - Simmer your pork in the braising liquid for an extended period, typically 2-3 hours, or until the meat is fall-apart tender. This allows the flavors to meld and infuse the pork with richness. - Use the braising liquid as a flavorful sauce to serve over the pork and vegetables. You can thicken the sauce by adding a cornstarch or flour slurry or by reducing it on the stovetop.

Conclusion:

Chef John's pumpkin-braised pork recipe offers a unique and flavorful take on a classic comfort dish. The combination of pumpkin puree, spices, and herbs creates a rich and aromatic braising liquid that infuses the pork with incredible flavor. The addition of maple syrup adds a touch of sweetness, while the pumpkin puree provides a velvety texture to the sauce. Whether served over mashed potatoes, rice, or roasted vegetables, this dish is sure to impress and satisfy your taste buds. The detailed instructions and tips provided in this recipe ensure successful execution, making it an excellent choice for home cooks of all skill levels. So, gather your ingredients, fire up your stovetop or slow cooker, and indulge in this heartwarming and delicious pumpkin-braised pork dish!

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