By Grocery List Plus Editorial Staff | Published on June 14, 2026
Serves 8
804 cal · 915 min
Cocoa Pork
Recipe GLPR45c69e549dd048
A succulent roasted pork shoulder rubbed with a unique blend of cocoa, brown sugar, orange zest, and warm spices, then slow-roasted until tender. The pork is marinated with onions, orange juice, and red wine vinegar for depth of flavor, resulting in a moist, flavorful meat with crispy skin and pan juices enriched with caramelized onions.
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Ingredients
5½ pounds Boneless pork shoulder, trimmed of excess fat
2 tablespoons Vegetable oil
2 tablespoons Kosher salt
3 tablespoons Unsweetened cocoa powder
3 tablespoons Packed light brown sugar
1 tablespoon Grated orange zest
1 teaspoon Freshly ground black pepper
¼ teaspoon Ground clove
3 Medium yellow onions, quartered
⅓ cup Freshly squeezed orange juice
¼ cup Red wine vinegar
Directions
In a small bowl, whisk together the cocoa powder, brown sugar, orange zest, black pepper, and clove until fully combined to create a fragrant spice rub.
Rub the pork shoulder all over with the vegetable oil, then season evenly with the kosher salt. Apply the cocoa spice rub generously over the entire surface of the pork, pressing gently to adhere.
Place the quartered onions in the bottom of a large roasting pan or shallow dish. Set the seasoned pork on top of the onions, then pour the orange juice and red wine vinegar over and around the meat.
Cover the pan tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 4 to 12 hours, allowing the flavors to meld and the meat to tenderize.
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F and position a rack in the center. Remove the pork from the refrigerator and let it sit at room temperature for 45 minutes to 1 hour before roasting.
Pat the pork dry with paper towels. Transfer the pork to a clean, dry roasting pan (discard the marinade liquid but reserve the onions). Roast at 425 degrees F until the exterior is well browned, approximately 30 minutes.
Reduce the oven temperature to 325 degrees F. Scatter the reserved marinated onions around the pork and continue roasting until the internal temperature at the thickest part reaches 145 degrees F on an instant-read thermometer, about 2 to 2.5 hours.
Transfer the pork to a cutting board and loosely tent with foil. Let the roast rest for 15 to 30 minutes to allow the juices to redistribute and ensure tender, moist meat.
Using a sharp knife, separate the crispy skin and fat layer from the meat in one piece if possible. Cut the crackling into bite-sized pieces. Slice the meat against the grain into serving portions.
Arrange the sliced pork and crackling pieces on a serving platter. Spoon the pan juices and caramelized onions over the meat and serve immediately.
Comments
Cocoa Pork is a deeply flavored braise that works beautifully for a Charlotte crowd: pork shoulder is cheap and available everywhere, cocoa and cloves are pantry staples, and an orange (zest and juice) shows up year-round at any major chain. The real catch is the stated 915 minutes—that's over 15 hours, which almost certainly confuses passive braising time with total prep; expect closer to 20–30 minutes active work plus 3–4 hours hands-off in the oven, so plan it for a weekend or schedule around a slow cooker. At roughly $2–2.50 per serving (shoulder runs $3–4 a pound), this is a steal for eight people. Leftovers reheat beautifully and get better the next day, making it perfect for a make-ahead dinner that feeds a whole family without fuss once it hits the oven.
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