Fool-Proof Comfort Food
I make my family a version of this practically fool-proof savory pork dish a few times a month. Paired with simple mashed potatoes and sauteed Brussels sprouts, it makes for perfect cool-weather comfort food. Pork and apples have been a winning combination for centuries, so braising pork in apple cider is a no-brainer. And don’t worry about letting it cook in the oven while you run errands or check off that to-do list; safer than a crock pot in my opinion. I love using the leftover pork on a salad or in a mustard-y sandwich.
Apple Cider-Roasted Pork Shoulder
Ingredients
- 1 trimmed, natural pork shoulder @ 3 and 1/2 pounds
- 3 cups flour
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon ground white pepper
- 3 tablespoons fresh rosemary
- 2 tablespoons minced garlic
- 2 apples, peeled and sliced
- 1 large minced yellow onion
- 2 cups natural apple cider
- 3 cup chicken stock
- 3 tablespoons canola oil
Instructions
Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
Place canola oil in a high-sided Dutch oven over high heat (a 6-quart Le Creuset-type vessel is perfect).
Rub the pork shoulder with rosemary, salt and pepper.
Place flour in a brown paper bag. Add the pork shoulder to the bag, rolling it to evenly coat with flour.
Brown the pork shoulder in the Dutch oven with the canola oil.
Place the pork shoulder on a rack set into a roasting pan, and bake in a 450 degree oven for 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, add onions, apples and garlic to the pan you browned the pork in, cook until lightly colored and glassy. Add the cider and chicken stock, and reduce by half at a medium boil.
Pour this mixture into the bottom of the roasting pan. Place the roast into the 450 degree oven, uncovered.
Turn oven down to 300 degrees and cook for about 3 1/2 hours.
Place pork on a serving platter to let it rest.
Place the roasting pan over a medium-high burner on the stove and and simmer for 10 to 12 minutes or until the sauce is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Season the sauce with a pinch of salt and a drizzle of apple cider vinegar.
Slice the roast and serve with the pan juices spooned over.
