Slow-Cooked Apple Cider Braised Pork with Herb-Spiked Sauce

Name: Slow-Cooked Apple Cider Braised Pork with Herb-Spiked Sauce
Total time: 420 min
Yield: 2
Ingredients: 1 (4 pound) boneless pork shoulder roast; salt and freshly ground black pepper; 1 tablespoon vegetable oil; 2 shallots; 1 rib celery; 0.5 cup apple cider vinegar; 2.5 cups apple cider; 4 cloves garlic, peeled; 1 bay leaf; 1.5 teaspoons Dijon mustard; 1 pinch cayenne pepper; 2 tablespoons cold butter, cut into small pieces; 1 tablespoon chopped fresh herbs (Italian parsley, sage, or thyme)

This tender pork shoulder recipe is cooked slowly with apple cider and a mix of aromatics, resulting in a delicious sauce to boot. It's an easy, one-pot dinner perfect for weeknights.

Recipe Info

Prep Time

420 min

Difficulty

Easy

Servings

Nutrition

calories389kcal

carbohydrates14g

fat26g

protein24g

Dinner American

Ingredients

1 (4 pound) boneless pork shoulder roast

salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

2 shallots

1 rib celery

0.5 cup apple cider vinegar

2.5 cups apple cider

4 cloves garlic, peeled

1 bay leaf

1.5 teaspoons Dijon mustard

1 pinch cayenne pepper

2 tablespoons cold butter, cut into small pieces

1 tablespoon chopped fresh herbs (Italian parsley, sage, or thyme)

Directions

Season pork with salt and black pepper. Heat oil in a large skillet over high heat. Add pork; sear on all sides until browned, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer to a slow cooker.

Add shallots and celery to the same skillet over medium heat; cook and stir until they begin to soften, 3 to 4 minutes. Pour in apple cider vinegar; cook, scraping up any browned bits, until liquid nearly evaporated, 4 to 5 minutes. Add to slow cooker.

Add apple cider, garlic cloves, bay leaf, and Dijon mustard to slow cooker. Cover and cook on Low for about 6 hours until pork is tender but not falling apart, turning the pork every hour or so.

Transfer pork to a plate; cover loosely with foil. Strain cooking liquid through a fine-mesh sieve into a large saucepan, discarding solids. Bring the sauce to a boil over high heat, then decrease heat and cook until reduced by half, about 10 minutes.

Stir in cayenne pepper, then whisk in cold butter until incorporated. Sprinkle in fresh herbs; season with salt and black pepper. Keep warm.

Cut pork into 1/4-inch thick slices. Serve with sauce.