Cider-Braised Pork Shoulder with Apples and Mustard
Pork shoulder browned hard, then left alone for three hours until a fork goes through it without resistance.
- Serves
- 6
- Prep
- 20 min
- Cook
- 3 hr 30 min
- Written
Method
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Season the pork pieces generously with salt and pepper on all sides.
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Heat the oil in a Dutch oven over high heat and sear the pork until deeply browned on every side, about 10 minutes total, then transfer to a plate.
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Lower the heat to medium, add the onion, and cook until softened, about 5 minutes.
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Add the garlic and apples and cook until the apple edges start to color, about 3 minutes.
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Pour in the cider and scrape up the browned bits stuck to the bottom of the pot.
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Return the pork to the pot, add the stock, thyme, and bay leaves, and bring to a simmer.
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Cover and transfer to a 325°F oven; braise until the pork shreds apart with a fork, about 3 hours.
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Lift the pork onto a board, shred it, and discard any large pieces of fat.
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Skim the fat from the braising liquid, discard the thyme stems and bay leaves, and simmer on the stovetop until slightly thickened, about 10 minutes.
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Stir the vinegar and mustard into the sauce, then return the shredded pork and toss to coat.
Notes
Shoulder has enough fat to survive three hours of heat and still come out moist, but that same fat is why the sauce needs the vinegar and mustard at the end — without them it tastes like pork fat with cider poured over it. Skim hard before you finish the sauce; you’re not going for silky, you’re going for something that cuts.
No hard cider on hand: use apple juice with an extra splash of vinegar to get back the acidity you’d lose. This keeps well and is better the second day, reheated gently with a spoonful of stock to loosen the sauce.