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Cider Braised Pork Shoulder

This dish involves slow-cooking a pork shoulder in apple cider, which infuses the meat with a sweet and tangy flavor.
Print Recipe
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 2 hours 15 minutes
Total Time 2 hours 30 minutes
Course Stew
Cuisine American
Servings 5 - 6 People

Ingredients
  

  • 1 - 3 pound pork shoulder roast, cut into 3- or 4-inch chunks
  • Kosher salt to generously season pork
  • 2 Tbs vegetable oil
  • 1 large onion chopped
  • 1 tsp salt plus more to taste
  • ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
  • ¼ cup fresh sage leaves torn
  • 1 750 milliliter bottle hard apple cider
  • ⅓ cup apple cider vinegar
  • 1/2 cup creme fraiche or heavy cream
  • 1 pinch cayenne pepper
  • Creme fraiche for garnish
  • Chopped fresh chives for garnish

Instructions
 

  • Generously salt all sides of the pork shoulder chunks. Heat oil in a heavy pot over high heat. Brown pork shoulder pieces until surface is seared and crusty, about 3 or 4 minutes per side. Transfer browned pork to a plate. Add onions to oil and reduce heat to medium and season with a pinch of salt and pepper. Cook and stir about 2 minutes. Add torn sage leaves; cook until onions soften and begin to brown, stirring frequently. Pour cider into pot; stir to deglaze bottom. Raise heat to high and bring to a boil. Stir in cider vinegar. Reduce heat to low.
  • Transfer pork shoulder pieces to cider mixture. Cover; simmer gently on low 1 hour. Remove lid and turn pieces over. Cover; simmer on low until meat is fork tender, 1 to 2 more hours. Transfer pork to a bowl with a slotted spoon.
  • Raise heat to high and bring sauce to a simmer. Whisk in creme fraiche. Simmer until liquid is reduced by half and is slightly thickened, 8 to 10 minutes. Stir in a pinch of cayenne. Transfer pork back to pot; reduce heat to low. Baste pork with sauce while it heats through and becomes perfectly tender, and the sauce is as thick as you want it, about 15 more minutes. Serve over rice, spatzle or egg noodles.

Video

Notes

You can substitute non-alcoholic apple cider or apple juice for the hard apple cider. But hard cider works best.