This Cocoa Curry Pork Shoulder one isn’t for the faint of heart. She’s RICH, this one. But still, I can’t stress enough how easy this recipe is – how very hands-off. Also? It’s incredibly delicious. The only thing is you need to use your oven for the better part of 4 hours. So, if it’s super hot where you are (like it is here in Charleston), then maybe wait for a day when you get a bit of relief. Or do like me and make it on the hottest day of the year. You do you, friends. Read on for more or jump ahead to the recipe.

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Curry Pork Shoulder with … Chocolate?

Uhhh yes, y’all. If it sounds at all funny to you, might I direct you to my (many time champion!) chili cook-off recipe? Cocoa powder is a key part of that winning equation as well, and here … it works brilliantly alongside one of my favorite ready-made grocery items of all time: Thai-style red curry paste. The intense and gorgeous flavors running through that paste are tempered and mellowed a bit by the cocoa powder, and it all works together to create a fantastic dark crust all over the pork as it cooks.

The curry paste boasts the flavors of garlic, lemongrass, red chili, and galangal (Thai ginger) and it’s just a wonderful thing that you can actually go out and buy this stuff at just about any supermarket nowadays. Is this recipe Thai? No, not at all. It just leverages a great store-bought item that helps us achieve a ton of flavor with minimal effort – a hallmark of what we stand for here at MKL.

What is Pork Shoulder?

Also called “pork butt” pork shoulder is a fatty, triangular cut from just above the front leg of the pig. It’s affordable, always available, and COMPLETELY FOOLPROOF. It’s used (maybe most commonly) in pulled pork. Yes, think BBQ sandwiches here. The pork fat is clutch in this recipe, because as the meat roasts away in the (Dutch) oven, the fat will render and essentially fry the chickpeas. They will soak up the lusciousness of that fat and the curry-cocoa sauce as well, and I cannot even tell you how delicious it is.

If you’re like me, you’re going to want to make this for everyone you know. It’s that good.

What type of curry is best?

You could probably use an Indian style curry here, if you have some around, prefer it, or can’t find the Thai style. I’m talking about the pre-made Garam Masala pastes and sauces that you see pretty readily available now in most international aisles. The final flavor of the dish will be different, as the curries are built on mostly different bones (there is a bit of crossover, though). But it will still be delicious. So, there’s that.

Substitution suggestions

Curry: As I mention above, you could swap in an Indian style curry sauce or paste for the Thai style red curry. It will taste different, but will still be wonderful.
Legumes: If you want, you could use a different bean here, though I strongly urger you to stick with the chick(peas). They just do their thang so brilliantly and shine in this recipe. But. Pintos or Great Northern or Cannellini would be okay, too.
Herbs: a simple little shower of cilantro and scallions really makes this dish, in my opinion. But if you ” HATE ” cilantro, then go ahead and use a combo of chopped parsley and fresh mint. That will be SO tasty, and beautiful all the same. Keep those scallions, though okay?
Flatbread: You’ll notice that I serve this with fluffy naan or another similar type of flatbread, as I think it’s a wonderful way to eat this. But, really you just need to use whatever sopping vehicle you like. You could use toast or gummy white bread (like in a BBQ joint). You could use rice or pasta. You could use tortillas. It’s all good here, all fair game as far as I’m concerned.

Pork Shoulder Curry: What you’ll need

A few powerhouse ingredients sing in great harmony in this one. I can’t really overstate how delicious I think this is, what with all of the savory, salty curry aromatics, the sweet brown sugar crust, and the perfectly oven-fried chickpeas and dates. It’s a happy pot of food, this one is.

INGREDIENTS

4.5 to 5 lb. boneless pork shoulder or “Boston Butt”

Salt and pepper, as needed

4-ounce jar of Thai-style red curry paste

Scant tablespoon of cocoa powder (dark or regular work)

3 tablespoons brown sugar

¼ cup white distilled, rice wine, or apple cider vinegar

5 pitted dates, halved

14.5-ounce can chickpeas, drained and rinsed

1 cup roughly chopped cilantro

2 scallions, chopped

½ cup plain yogurt (Greek or regular)

Zest of one lime, plus extra limes for serving

Store-bought naan, pita bread, or tortillas for serving

How to Make this Cocoa Curry Pork Shoulder

It really doesn’t get much easier than this. We’re not even going to bother searing the meat before it goes in the oven. Honestly? Any time I can avoid that, I’m all for it. We’ll still get juicy, succulent meat with a flavorful, deeply browned crust. Amen.

DIRECTIONS

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Put the pork in a large Dutc oven and season with salt and pepper.

In a small bowl, combine the curry paste, cocoa, brown sugar, and vinegar. Rub this all over the pork, using all of it. Pour 1 cup water all around the meat (not over). Cover and put in the oven for 3 hours.

Remove the lid after three hours and add the chickpeas and dates. Increase the temperature to 425 and, with the lid off, cook for 45 more minutes. Let the meat rest for 10 minutes when it comes out, and shower with the chopped cilantro and scallions and the lime zest.

To serve, you can “pull” the pork or sort of slice it into big chunks/pieces. Season the yogurt with salt and pepper to taste and serve this alongside the pork, chickpeas, and dates with warm flatbread, pita, or tortillas.