the cider in my house rules
What’s the point of just slow-cooking pork without something special and seasonal to add to it? Since it’s fall and there are glistening apples and freshly bottled cider everywhere, it became clear what I would use to braised my next pork dish with. This whole recipe is fairly simple if you have the time to wait for the pork to cook. The key is getting some fall root veggies, some fresh apple, herbs like thyme and rosemary, and, oh yea, cider. I highly recommend this recipe not only because it’s delicious but because it’ll make your whole house smell amazing while you’re cooking! Seriously, someone should turn this into a scented candle…maybe just don’t put “pork” in the name.
⟶ the recipe
apple cider-braised pork shoulder
ingredients
4-6 pounds boneless pork shoulder
Salt and pepper
1 large onion, sliced
2 cups apple cider
2 cups chicken broth
4 large carrots, chopped
8 cloves of garlic, smashed
2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves
1 apple, sliced
Prep time
1 hour
Cook time
3 hours
Total time
4 hours
8 servings
instructions
Preheat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit. Heat some olive oil in a large Dutch oven. After trimming the excess fat off the pork, season it generously with salt and pepper.
Add pork to the Dutch oven, searing all sides, 1-2 minutes each. Transfer pork to a plate.
Drizzle a little more olive oil into the pot, and add the onions, sautéeing on medium-low heat.
Cook onions for about 10 minutes, until they’re soft and slightly caramelized. Add half of the apple cider, and cook for another 10 minutes, until most of the cider has evaporated. Add the pork back to the pot.
Add the remaining cider, chicken broth, carrots, garlic, and thyme, arranging around the pieces of meat. Arrange the apple slices over the veggies.
Cover, and cook for about 3 hours, until the pork is tender and can easily be broken up with tongs or two forks.
Serve pork and veggies over mashed potatoes or polenta.
⟶ modifications
- For the meat, you can also use bone-in pork shoulder (also called pork butt or Boston butt roast), you may just need to allot a little extra time to cook
- You can do a similar method with short ribs or a chuck roast, again just maybe cooking a bit longer!
