Cider Braised Pork Shoulder

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For truly tender pork, try my Cider Braised Pork Shoulder recipe! The pork cooks in apple cider and broth with onions, butternut squash and apples until it becomes melt-in-the-mouth tender. A comforting meal full of fall flavors – delicious served over buttery mashed potatoes.

Prep Time20

Cook Time3

Total Time3 20

Course: Main

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Cider Braised Pork

Servings: - 8

Calories: 595kcal

Author: Lucy Parissi | Supergolden Bakes

Equipment

Shallow lidded casserole

Ingredients

4 ½ lbs (1.8kg) pork shoulder or Boston butt, boneless
1 tbsp sea salt flakes
1 tbsp black pepper
2 tsp red pepper flakes or paprika
2 tbsp neutral oil
1 tbsp butter , unsalted
2 tbsp Dijon mustard
1 tbsp tomato paste
2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
2 cups (500ml) apple cider * see notes
2 cups (500ml) chicken broth or stock
2 bay leaves
2 rosemary sprigs
2 sage leaves
1 yellow onion , sliced
1 ½ cups (300g) butternut squash , peeled and cubed
2 apples , cut into thick slices
salt and pepper to season
fresh thyme to serve

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 320°F (160°C).
Remove any large pieces of fat from the pork and cut into large chunky pieces. Pat dry and season liberally with the salt, pepper and red pepper flakes.
4 ½ lbs (1.8kg) pork shoulder, 1 tbsp sea salt flakes, 1 tbsp black pepper, 2 tsp red pepper flakes or paprika
Heat butter and oil in a large cast iron casserole dish and sear the pork on all sides until golden brown. This will take a few minutes but adds tons of flavor to the overall dish so don't skip this step. Set the pork aside onto a plate.
2 tbsp neutral oil, 1 tbsp butter
Add a splash of apple cider to the hot pan and use a wooden spoon to scrape any browned bits stuck to the pan loose. Stir the mustard and tomato paste in.
2 tbsp Dijon mustard, 1 tbsp tomato paste
Add the Worcestershire sauce, chicken broth and cider and bring to a simmer. Put the pork pieces back into the pan, add the herbs and cover. Transfer to the oven and cook for two hours, turning the pork over halfway through.
2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce, 2 cups (500ml) apple cider , 2 cups (500ml) chicken broth , 2 bay leaves, 2 rosemary sprigs, 2 sage leaves
Take out of the oven and add the butternut squash, apples and sliced onions. Top up with a little more cider if needed. Return the pot to the oven and cook for another hour or until the pork is fork tender and the vegetables are soft.
1 yellow onion, 1 ½ cups (300g) butternut squash, 2 apples
Discard the herbs and check the seasoning, adding salt and pepper if needed. Sprinkle with the fresh thyme. Serve over mashed potatoes with a generous drizzle of the braising liquid (see notes).
salt and pepper to season, fresh thyme

Video

Notes

You can use fresh apple cider (apple juice) or hard cider.
Adding a splash of cream to the braising liquid is a delicious option. Alternatively you can stir in a little cornstarch slurry to thicken if you like.

Nutrition