North African Clementine and Wild Pork Tagine

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Adam Berkelmans

Managing Editor at Harvesting Nature

Adam Berkelmans, also known as The Intrepid Eater, is a passionate ambassador for real food and a proponent of nose to tail eating. He spends his time between Ottawa and a cozy lake house north of Kingston, Ontario. When not cooking, he can be found hunting, fishing, foraging, gardening, reading, traveling, and discovering new ways to find and eat food.

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Latest posts by Adam Berkelmans (see all)

• North African Clementine and Wild Pork Tagine - January 9, 2023
• East African Venison Meat Pies with Basbaas Sauce - December 23, 2022
• Beer Braised Goose Legs on Egg Noodles with Red Cabbage - November 14, 2022

I developed this recipe around Christmas time when clementines are in peak season. We ended up with a batch of clementines (as you do) that weren’t fantastic. They were okay but lacked that unique tart sweetness that you’re looking for in them. I thought that these mediocre clementines would be better cooked, covering up their inferiority and making them special. 

I wanted to cook something savory with them instead of sweet, and when it comes to mixing meat with fruit, there’s really only one place to turn to the experts: North Africa. 

Countries in North Africa, like Morocco, Algeria, and Tunisia often make stews called tagines made with slow-cooked lamb or chicken with dried fruits like prunes and apricots. 

I followed suit but replaced the ubiquitous lamb with wild pork shoulder, and the dried fruits with fresh clementines (that get a bit of delicious char on them). Although most tagines are made in a clay cooking vessel sporting the same name (tagine), which I happen to own, I thought I’d make the recipe in a normal metal pot to show that it can be done in any regular kitchen. 

The resulting stew, served with fluffy couscous, surpassed my expectations, and turned my blasé clementines into something truly delicious and special!

Serving Size: 4 servings

Time to make: 3+ hours

Also works with: Domestic Pork

Sides: Serve with fiery North African harissa paste and a light green salad

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North African Clementine and Wild Pork Tagine

Recipe by Adam BerkelmansCourse: DinnerCuisine: AfricanDifficulty: Medium

Servings

4

servings

Prep time

15

minutes

Cooking time

3

hours 

Countries in North Africa, like Morocco, Algeria, and Tunisia often make stews called tagines made with slow-cooked lamb or chicken with dried fruits like prunes and apricots. 
I followed suit but replaced the ubiquitous lamb with wild pork shoulder, and the dried fruits with fresh clementines (that get a bit of delicious char on them). Although most tagines are made in a clay cooking vessel sporting the same name (tagine), which I happen to own, I thought I’d make the recipe in a normal metal pot to show that it can be done in any regular kitchen. 

Ingredients

• 1lb wild pork shoulder, cubed

• Kosher salt

• Black pepper

• 1 tablespoon + 1 tablespoon pork lard or oil

• 1 large onion, sliced

• 2 cloves garlic, minced

• 2 tablespoons honey

• 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar

• 1 cup clementine juice (made by squeezing 8-10 clementines)

• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika

• ½ teaspoon ground cumin

• ½ teaspoon ground coriander

• ½ teaspoon turmeric powder

• 1 cup wild pork (or chicken) stock

• 3 clementines, peeled and pulled into quarters

• ¼ cup chopped cilantro

• 2 cups prepared couscous

• Sides/Garnish

• Harissa Paste

• Cilantro

• Side Salad

Preparation

• Season the pork cubes generously with salt and pepper.
• Heat the lard or oil in a large pot over high heat. Add pork and fry until browned on all sides, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a bowl.
• Reduce heat to medium and add the onions to the pot. Cook until lightly browned, about 5-7 minutes, then transfer to the bowl with the pork. 
• Add the honey to the pot and cook it down until it begins to boil and brown. Add the vinegar and clementine juice. Stir and scrape up any brown bits on the bottom of the pot. Add the spices, pork, onions, and stock and stir to combine. 
  
• Bring to a strong simmer, then cover and reduce heat to low. 
• Cook for 1.5 hours, then take off the lid and bring back to a low simmer. 
• Add 1 tablespoon of lard or oil to a small skillet over high heat. Add the clementine quarters, sautéing until dark spots begin to emerge on the fruit. Add the clementines to the pot with the pork.
• Keep cooking down the stew until it thickens to a gravy-like consistency. 
• Serve the pork stew on the couscous, garnished with cilantro and harissa. Enjoy!