A delicious and fresh meal flavor turns an ordinary piece of pork into a decadent meal that fits your paleo diet. This citrus pork rib roast is so easy to prepare, you will be shocked at how tasty it actually is. With a blend of tangy citrus flavors, savory herbs, and succulent sweet pork, this roast is sure to leave your taste buds singing!
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Citrus Pork Rib Roast
The beauty of this recipe lies in its simplicity. Just marinate the pork for several hours, or overnight, with garlic, cloves, a mixture of lemon and orange juices, citrus zest, bay leaves, rosemary, fennel seeds, and even juniper berries. This combination gives a perfect contrast to the sweet pork. A citrus pork rib roast sounds like a delightful addition to your menu, any time of year.
Not only is this paleo-friendly, but it has other health benefits. Pork is obviously a great source of protein, but you also have the addition of niacin, B vitamins, and even iron which are great sources of nutrition. Pair this with the vitamin C in the marinade, and you can feel good about adding pork to your menu.
Fresh oranges are definitely recommended for this recipe as they provide the best flavor and acidity to complement the savory pork. However, if fresh oranges are not readily available, you can still make this dish by using bottled orange juice or frozen orange concentrate. While bottled orange juice can be used as a substitute, it is important to check the label to ensure it does not contain any added sugars or preservatives that would make it no longer paleo-friendly.
To make this meal even more well-rounded, serve it with sauteed spinach and caramelized onions on the side. It would also pair wonderfully with mashed sweet potatoes or even a warm spinach and pear salad.
Ingredients
Serves: 5 Prep Time: 15 minutes Rest Time: 12 to 18 hours Cook Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
- 4 lb pork rib roast
- 3 cloves garlic
- 4 tablespoon lemon juice
- ½ cup orange juice
- 2 tablespoon lemon zest
- 4 tablespoon orange zest
- 10 bay leaves
- 4 sprigs rosemary
- 1 tablespoon fennel seeds, chopped
- ½ tablespoon Juniper berries, crushed
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 tablespoon cooking fat, melted
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
How to Make a Citrus Pork Rib Roast
Start with the marinating of your pork rib roast. You will start by using a knife to make 3 to 6 small incisions on the fatty part of the roast. Add ½ to 1 clove of garlic per incision.
Then, in a small bowl, whisk together the melted cooking fat, olive oil, lemon juice, orange juice, lemon zest, orange zest, bay leaves, rosemary, chopped fennel seeds, and crushed Juniper berries.
Now, season the roast with salt and pepper on all sides, then place it into a large roasting pan or dish with a lid, and pour over the marinade. Make sure the pork is covered with the marinade, cover, and refrigerate for 12 to 18 hours.
Once ready to cook the roast, let the pork roast come to room temperature (around 30 minutes), and then preheat the oven to 350°F/180°C.
Let the pork roast come to room temperature, and then scrape any excess marinade off of the roast. In a large skillet, over medium heat, sear the roast on all sides so it has been browned well.
Move the citrus pork roast to a roasting pan or baking dish, and cook for 1 ½ hours, or until a meat thermometer shows 145°F internally at the thickest point.
Let the roast stand for 15 minutes before slicing to serve.
More Pork Rib Roast Recipes
If you are looking for more ideas to use for your menu, check out some of the other pork roast recipes linked below. While the citrus pork rib roast is one of my favorites, you may want something sweeter or even spicy. Below you can pick your favorites and bookmark the recipes, print them out, or even hop over and pin them to Pinterest so they are handy when you are ready to cook again!
📖 Recipe
Citrus Pork Rib Roast
This citrus pork rib roast recipe will add a zesty kick to your dinner table. Learn how to make this juicy dish that will leave your taste buds wanting more.
Ingredients
- 4 lb pork rib roast
- 3 cloves garlic
- 4 tablespoon lemon juice
- ½ cup orange juice
- 2 tablespoon lemon zest
- 4 tablespoon orange zest
- 10 bay leaves
- 4 sprigs rosemary
- 1 tablespoon fennel seeds chopped
- ½ tablespoon Juniper berries crushed
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 tablespoon cooking fat melted
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
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First, create small incisions on the fatty side of the pork roast and insert one garlic clove into each.
4 lb pork rib roast, 3 cloves garlic
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Next, combine the juice and zest of lemons and oranges, along with bay leaves, rosemary, fennel seeds, and Juniper berries with 2 tablespoons of cooking fat and olive oil in a baking dish.
4 tablespoon lemon juice, ½ cup orange juice, 2 tablespoon lemon zest, 4 tablespoon orange zest, 10 bay leaves, 4 sprigs rosemary, 1 tablespoon fennel seeds, ½ tablespoon Juniper berries, 2 tablespoon olive oil, 2 tablespoon cooking fat
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Season with sea salt and black pepper and place the roast in the marinade, leaving it to marinate overnight in the refrigerator.
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
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Remove the roast from the refrigerator to temper at room temperature before cooking. Preheat the oven to 350 F, scrape off the marinade, and brown the roast in a skillet over medium heat.
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Place the roast in a clean baking dish and roast for approximately 1 ½ hours, or until an instant-read thermometer shows 145 F in the thickest part.
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Let the roast rest for about 15 minutes before carving and serving.
Notes
- Fresh citrus gives the best flavor to this marinade.
- Pork must reach 145°F internally for safety before serving.
- Dried herbs can be used in place of fresh if desired.
Nutrition
Serving: 5gCalories: 608kcalCarbohydrates: 14gProtein: 50gFat: 39gSaturated Fat: 7gPolyunsaturated Fat: 6gMonounsaturated Fat: 13gTrans Fat: 0.2gCholesterol: 139mgSodium: 138mgPotassium: 1034mgFiber: 2gSugar: 9gVitamin A: 165IUVitamin C: 56mgCalcium: 99mgIron: 2mg