Cider Braised Pork Shoulder with Apples
Tender pork shoulder slowly braised with apple cider, white wine, shallots, and sage, then served with sweet-tart apples in a rich, savory sauce.
Servings 6
Equipment
- Heavy 6-quart Dutch oven with a tight-fitting lid
- Kitchen twine
Ingredients
- 4 lb boneless pork shoulder skin removed and excess outer fat trimmed
- 1½ teaspoons fine table salt plus more to taste
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper plus more to taste
- 2 tablespoons neutral oil
- 10 oz shallots peeled and sliced lengthwise
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh sage
- 1 teaspoon mustard powder
- ½ cup dry white wine
- 1 cup apple cider nonalcoholic and unspiced
- 1½ cups low-sodium chicken stock plus more as needed
- 12 flat-leaf parsley stems tied together with kitchen twine, or chopped
- 3 medium Granny Smith apples cored and cut into ¾-inch wedges, peeled if preferred
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard plus more to taste
Instructions
- Prepare and brown the pork. Preheat the oven to 325°F. If needed, fold the pork into its natural shape and secure with kitchen twine. Pat dry and season all over with the salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Brown the pork on all sides, about 15–20 minutes total. Lower the heat if the browned bits begin to burn. Transfer the pork to a plate.
- Cook the shallots. Leave about 2 tablespoons of fat in the pot and reduce the heat to medium. Add the shallots and cook for 6–8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened and lightly golden. Stir in the sage and mustard powder and cook for 20 seconds, until fragrant.
- Build the braising liquid. Add the wine, scraping up the browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Simmer for 3–5 minutes until reduced by half. Add the cider and stock, then return the pork and any juices to the pot. Tuck in the parsley bundle. The liquid should reach one-third to halfway up the pork; add more stock if needed. Bring to a gentle simmer and cover tightly.
- Braise the pork. Transfer to the oven and cook for 3–4 hours, carefully turning the pork halfway through. Begin checking after 2½ hours. A fork should slide into the thickest parts and twist with very little resistance. If the meat is still firm, cover and continue cooking in 20–30-minute intervals until tender. Add a little hot stock if the liquid runs low.
- Rest the pork and finish the sauce. Carefully transfer the pork to a platter, cover loosely, and rest for 10–15 minutes. Meanwhile, discard the parsley bundle and skim excess fat from the sauce. If the sauce is watery, simmer uncovered for 5–15 minutes until it lightly coats a spoon. Taste as it reduces to avoid concentrating the sweetness and salt too much.
- Cook the apples. Add the apple wedges to the gently simmering sauce and partially cover. Cook for 5–12 minutes, checking after 5 minutes, until just tender but still holding their shape. Transfer to a plate with a slotted spoon. Remove the twine from the pork and gently separate the meat into large chunks, discarding any large pockets of fat. Reserve the resting juices.
- Finish and serve. Stir the Dijon into the sauce. Return the pork and resting juices to the pot and warm gently for 3–5 minutes, spooning the sauce over the meat. Taste for seasoning and add more salt as needed, along with pepper or a little more Dijon if desired. Gently return the apples to the pot to warm through, then serve with the shallots and plenty of sauce.
Video
Notes
Cooking time: approximately 3 hours 45 minutes to 4 hours 45 minutes. Cook until the pork is fork-tender.
Erren's Top Tips
- Don't rush the browning. A deep golden crust adds rich, savory flavor to the finished sauce.
- Use a snug-fitting pot. The braising liquid should come approximately one-third to halfway up the pork, rather than completely covering it.
- Cook to tenderness, not time. Pork shoulder can take longer depending on its shape and thickness. Keep cooking until the meat yields easily to a fork.
- Skim the fat. Pork shoulder releases fat as it cooks. Removing excess fat before finishing the sauce keeps it rich without becoming greasy.
- Don't over-reduce the sauce. Apple cider contains natural sugars that become more concentrated as the liquid reduces.
- Add the apples late. This keeps them tender and intact instead of letting them break down during the long braise.