Lemongrass Pork (Milk Braised)
This Lemongrass Milk Braised Pork recipe is made with Southeast Asian flavors of lemongrass, tamarind, and shallots. It has a creamy sauce that melts in your mouth!
Serve this succulent Lemongrass Pork, braised in milk, and plated with steamed jasmine rice and sautéed Asian greens. Milk braised pork can be found in Italian cuisine, but these Southeast Asian flavors combined make the best pork you’ve ever eaten! Serve it on this board for a beautiful, colorful meal.
Lemongrass Pork
Do you have tamarind paste in the fridge, and you don’t know what to do with it? Follow these three easy steps to make the best Lemongrass Pork (Milk Braised)! All you need are a few common ingredients for the marinade—shallots, lemongrass, ginger, shallots, tamarind, honey, fish sauce, dark soy—and then of course milk. You may have seen our Milk Braised Pork Board, for which this Lemongrass Pork recipe is the main ingredient.
Why we love this recipe
- Simple ingredients.
- Easy to prepare and pop in the oven.
- Guests go crazy with this recipe, and always ask for it.
Ingredients to buy to make Lemongrass Pork
- Pork: we buy the pork shoulder, and cut into 6 large pieces
- Salt
- Oil: you can use canola, vegetable or avocado oil
- Lemongrass: all you need is one stalk
- Ginger: use fresh ginger
- Shallots
- Tamarind paste: we use unsweetened
- Honey
- Fish sauce
- Soy sauce: the darker the better–we buy “dark soy”
- Whole milk
What does lemongrass taste like?
Lemongrass has fresh notes of bright floral and cooling mint. The lower bulb of the lemongrass stem is edible. It doesn’t lose its flavour when cooked for long periods of time, making it a great choice for slow-cooked meats and stews and curries.
Another great recipe is our Lemongrass Coconut Chicken Curry!
How do you make braised milk pork?
- At least 2 hours before cooking, season the pork with salt on every side and refrigerate. Before searing, let the meat sit out.
- In a braising pan, add the oil over medium-high heat. Once shimmery and hot, add the pork pieces in a single layer and brown. Remove from the pan and lower the heat to medium. Add the lemongrass, ginger, and shallots and cook, then add the tamarind paste, honey, fish sauce, and soy sauce. Cook more, then add the milk and a generous pinch of salt. Add the browned pork back to the dish and cover.
- Place in the oven and bake until fork-tender. Skim off most of the excess fat before shredding and serving hot with rice and veggies.
How do you serve braised pork?
- We love serving this pork in bowls, but it’s also great in tacos, burritos, sandwiches, and wraps.
- You can also pull the meat into shreds and serve on soft buns, slathered with the rich glaze.
- Or, serve with mandatory sides like steamed rice, sliced cucumber, and with a simple sauce to accompany them all. So good!
Tips and substitutions:
- Use a shallow braising dish to ensure the moisture condenses on the top, and drips back onto the meat to baste it, instead of just evaporating—the moisture will evaporate if there is too much space between the lid and the meat.
- You can use regular soy sauce, but you get a richer flavor with “dark soy.”
- The pork turns out best when you season it 3 days before cooking.
- Lemongrass: Yes, you need lemongrass for this recipe. Don’t be afraid to buy it, as most grocery stores carry it in the produce section. I usually peel off 2 layers. If you are working with stalks that aren’t as fresh, you may need to peel off an extra layer or more.
- Lemongrass TIP: To use lemongrass in marinades, stir-fries, salads, spice rubs, and curry pastes, trim the top and base of the stalks—you want to use only the bottom 4 inches or so. Then peel off any dry or tough outer layers before finely chopping or mincing.
- What part of lemongrass do you use? Only use the bottom white portion of fresh lemongrass stalks. The dark green portion of the stalks can be cut off.
- BUY THE BRAISER: We love this 3.5 quart braiser (buy it).
Use leftovers for Mexican food – it’s delish.
The result of this recipe is a creamy sauce, and pork that melts in your mouth!
Enjoy!
More pork recipes to try:
Get the Recipe:
Lemongrass Pork (Milk Braised)
Ingredients
- 2.5 - 3 lb. pork shoulder, cut into 6 large pieces, fat cap removed (excess fat)
- Salt to season
- 1 Tbsp. neutral oil: you can use canola, vegetable or avocado oil
- 1 large stalk lemongrass, about 3-4 Tbsp., outer layers removed, minced
- 1 ½ Tbsp. ginger, minced
- 3-4 large shallots, quartered
- ¼ cup plus 2 Tbsp. tamarind paste, unsweetened
- 3 ½ Tbsp. honey
- 3 Tbsp. fish sauce
- 1 Tbsp. dark soy sauce
- 1 ¼ cups whole milk
Instructions
- At least 2 hours before cooking, season the pork with salt on every side and refrigerate for 1 hour. Before searing, let the meat sit out for 1 hour.
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
- In a braising pan, add the oil over medium-high heat. Once shimmery and hot, add the pork pieces in a single layer and brown, 3-4 minutes per side. Remove from the pan and lower the heat to medium. Add the lemongrass, ginger, and shallots and cook for 5 minutes, then add the tamarind paste, honey, fish sauce, and soy sauce. Cook 3-4 minutes, then add the milk and a generous pinch of salt. Add the browned pork back to the dish and cover.
- Place in the oven and bake for 2 ½ - 3 hours until fork-tender. Skim off most of the excess fat before shredding and serving hot with rice and veggies.
- Also optional to serve pork in bowls, but it’s also great in tacos, burritos, sandwiches, and wraps, or on a soft bun.
Hello and welcome to my home and table!
I’m Sandy—lover of food, family, cooking, THE BIG BOARD, travel, and bringing people together. Through great recipes and connection around the table, we become better, stronger, and more courageous people. Feasting on Life is real, and every time we do it, we grow a little more. Read more...
Do you think this could be made in the instant pot? I maybe add some chicken stock to cook and then the milk once the pork is cooked?
I haven’t tried it in the instant pot! Let us know :)
Update: Made this last night in the oven and it was fantastic! After tasting the tamarind paste and the thought of mixing it with milk I was skeptical about the results but the pork was amazing. The flavor was asian-ish but definitely not over the top and the meat was SO tender and moist. An added bonus was how easy it was to make! We made tacos with the meat (avocado, cheese, tomatoes and black beans) and everyone had seconds. Thanks for the recipe….it will definitely be going into the meal rotation!