Recipe

Braised Pork Shoulder with Cider, Apple & Mustard

Name: Braised Pork Shoulder with Cider, Apple & Mustard
Yield: 6
Ingredients: 1.5kg boneless pork shoulder, tied; Sea salt and black pepper; 2 tbsp neutral oil; 2 medium onions, halved and finely sliced; 4 cloves garlic, finely sliced; 2 medium apples (Cox or Russet), peeled, cored, cut into eighths; 400ml dry cider; 300ml good chicken or pork stock; 2 bay leaves; 4 sprigs fresh thyme; 2 tbsp whole-grain mustard; 1 tbsp crème fraîche (optional)

Pork shoulder browned hard and then braised low and slow in cider with apple, onion, and whole-grain mustard until the meat falls apart and the sauce reduces to something winey and sweet. A cold-weather Sunday dish.

Serves 6

Ready in 4 hrs

Keeps 4 days fridge. Improves significantly overnight.

Level Moderate

1.5kg boneless pork shoulder, tied
Sea salt and black pepper
2 tbsp neutral oil
2 medium onions, halved and finely sliced
4 cloves garlic, finely sliced
2 medium apples (Cox or Russet), peeled, cored, cut into eighths
400ml dry cider
300ml good chicken or pork stock
2 bay leaves
4 sprigs fresh thyme
2 tbsp whole-grain mustard
1 tbsp crème fraîche (optional)

Pork shoulder has a high ratio of connective tissue and intramuscular fat, which makes it unsuitable for quick cooking but excellent for long braising. During 3–4 hours at low heat, the collagen converts to gelatine, the fat renders gently into the cooking liquid, and the muscle fibres relax to the point where the meat can be pulled apart with a fork. This transformation cannot be achieved in less time — an underdone shoulder is tough and dry. The meat is ready when it offers no resistance at the thickest point when prodded with a finger, and when strands pull away cleanly from the main piece.

Method

Preheat the oven to 160°C (140°C fan). Pat the pork shoulder completely dry on all surfaces with kitchen paper — this is essential for proper browning. Season very generously with salt and pepper, working it into any crevices or folds.

Heat the oil in a large flameproof casserole (with a lid) over medium-high heat. Add the pork and brown on all surfaces, beginning with the fat cap and turning to cover every side — this takes 8–10 minutes total. The colour should be a deep mahogany-brown, not pale gold. Remove to a plate and set aside.

Reduce to medium heat. In the same casserole, add the sliced onions and a pinch of salt. Cook for 8 minutes, stirring and scraping up any brown bits, until the onions are soft and beginning to colour. Add the garlic and cook for 2 minutes. Add the apple pieces and cook briefly for 2 minutes — they'll begin to soften at the edges.

Pour in the cider. Increase the heat to high and let it bubble for 3 minutes to cook off the raw alcohol. Add the stock, bay leaves and thyme. Stir briefly. Return the pork to the casserole fat-side up — the liquid should come roughly halfway up the meat. If it doesn't quite reach, add a little water.

Bring to a bare simmer on the hob. Cover with a tight-fitting lid and transfer to the oven. Braise for 3–3.5 hours until the meat is completely tender — it should yield with no resistance when poked firmly with a finger, and strands should pull away cleanly from the main joint. Check once or twice during cooking; if the liquid has reduced below the halfway mark, add a splash of water.

Remove the pork to a board, cover loosely with foil, and rest for 15 minutes. Discard the bay leaves and thyme sprigs from the sauce. Skim as much excess fat as possible from the surface. Place the casserole over medium-high heat and reduce the sauce for 5–8 minutes until slightly thickened and glossy. Stir in the whole-grain mustard and crème fraîche if using. Taste and season generously — the sauce should be rich, slightly sweet, and slightly sharp from the mustard.

Either pull the pork into large chunks and return to the sauce, or carve into thick slices and serve with sauce spooned generously over. Serve with mashed potato and braised or steamed greens — savoy cabbage, kale, or sprouting broccoli all work well.

✦ Chef's note

This dish is at its best the day after cooking: refrigerate overnight in the braising liquid, skim the solidified fat from the surface, and reheat gently. The sauce becomes richer and more integrated after a night in the fridge. The apples will have dissolved almost completely into the sauce — if you want a more pronounced apple presence, add fresh sliced apple to the sauce when reheating and cook briefly until just tender. Bone-in shoulder or a pork leg joint both work in this recipe; adjust timing for larger cuts. A small amount of sage added to the aromatics in step three is excellent if you have it.