Cider Braised Pork Roast Recipes

CIDER-BRAISED PORK SHOULDER

Steps:

• 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.

CIDER BRAISED PORK ROAST

Steps:

• Using sharp knife, trim fat cap on roast to 1/4 inch. Cut 1-inch crosshatch pattern, 1/16 inch deep, in fat cap. Place roast on large sheet of plastic wrap. Combine sugar and 1/4 cup salt in bowl and rub mixture over entire roast and into slits. Wrap roast tightly in double layer of plastic, place on plate, and refrigerate for 18 to 24 hours.
• Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 275 degrees. Unwrap roast and pat dry with paper towels, brushing away any excess salt mixture from surface. Season roast with pepper.
• Heat oil in Dutch oven over medium-high heat until just smoking. Sear roast until well browned on all sides, about 3 minutes per side. Turn roast fat side up. Scatter onion and garlic around roast and cook until fragrant and beginning to brown, about 2 minutes. Add 1 3/4 cups cider, thyme sprigs, bay leaves, and cinnamon stick and bring to simmer. Cover, transfer to oven, and braise until fork slips easily in and out of meat and meat registers 190 degrees, 2 1/4 to 2 3/4 hours.
• Transfer roast to carving board, tent with aluminum foil, and let rest for 30 minutes. Strain braising liquid through fine-mesh strainer into fat separator; discard solids and let liquid settle for at least 5 minutes.
• About 10 minutes before roast is done resting, wipe out pot with paper towels. Spoon 1 1/2 tablespoons of clear, separated fat from top of fat separator into now-empty pot and heat over medium-high heat until shimmering. Season apples with salt and pepper. Space apples evenly in pot, cut side down, and cook until well browned on both cut sides, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer to platter and tent with foil.
• Wipe out pot with paper towels. Return 2 cups defatted braising liquid to now-empty pot and bring to boil over high heat. Whisk in apple butter until incorporated. Whisk cornstarch and remaining 1/4 cup cider together in bowl and add to pot. Return to boil and cook until thickened, about 1 minute. Off heat, add vinegar and season with salt and pepper to taste. Cover sauce and keep warm.
• To carve roast, cut around inverted T-shaped bone until it can be pulled free from roast (use clean dish towel to grasp bone if necessary). Slice pork and transfer to serving platter with apples. Pour 1 cup sauce over pork and apples. Serve, passing remaining sauce at table.

CIDER BRAISED PORK SHOULDER

Steps:

• Pat pork dry with paper towels; season liberally with salt and pepper on all sides.
• Heat the vegetable oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Brown the pork on all sides, taking care not to get the oil too hot. Remove the meat to a platter.
• Add onions and garlic to the pot. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are tender (about 10-15 minutes). Stir in 1 ½ teaspoons salt, bay leaf, thyme, rosemary, apple cider and chicken broth. Nestle the pork shoulder in the pot (fat-side up). Cover the pot.
• Roast the pork shoulder in a 325°F oven for about 3-3 ½ hours, basting with cooking liquid every hour or so (if possible). The pork is done when the meat is falling off the bone (an internal temperature of about 205°F). Remove bay leaf and herb stems.
• Transfer the pork to a large cutting board. When it's cool enough to handle, shred the meat with two forks (discarding fatty pieces), and spoon plenty of that delicious cider cooking liquid and onions over top.

SLOW COOKER CIDER PORK ROAST

Steps:

• Combine 1/4 of the onion, 1/2 of the apple, and the garlic in the bowl of a food processor. Process until smooth. Transfer to slow cooker along with the apple cider and water.
• Season the roast with salt and pepper. Combine the ginger and flour in a shallow container. Gently press the roast onto the flour mixture to coat all sides. Brush off any excess flour. Heat the oil in a large, heavy skillet. Brown the pork in the hot oil, turning until golden on all sides. Place the browned roast in the slow cooker and scatter the celery and the remaining onion and apple on top. Cook on low for 4 hours, then add carrots. Cook for an additional 3 hours.
• Remove the cooked roast and carrots to a heated platter. If desired, thicken the cooking juices from the slow cooker to make a gravy.

CIDER PORK ROAST

Steps:

• Sprinkle pork with salt and pepper. In a nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray, brown pork for about 4 minutes on each side. Pour 1 cup apple cider in a 3-qt. slow cooker. Place two sprigs rosemary in slow cooker; top with meat and remaining rosemary. Place cherries around roast. Cover and cook on low for 5-6 hours or until meat is tender. Remove meat; keep warm. , Strain cooking liquid; reserve liquid and transfer to a small saucepan. Stir in 3/4 cup cider; bring to a boil. Combine cornstarch and remaining cider until smooth. Gradually whisk into cider mixture. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 1-2 minutes or until thickened. Serve with meat.

ROAST PORK WITH CIDER GRAVY

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 220C/ 200C fan/ gas 7. Score the skin of the pork and rub with olive oil and sea salt. Put the pork, leeks, carrots, turnip and herbs in large high-sided roasting pan and pour in the cider and stock. Roast for 30 minutes, then take the roasting tray out of the oven and cover tightly with foil. Return to the oven and turn the heat to 150C/ 130C fan/ gas 2.
• After 4 hours, remove the foil, turn the oven back up again to 220C/ 200C fan/ gas 7 and roast for another 30 minutes.
• Take the pork out of the oven, remove the meat, cover and set aside to rest. Drain the cooking liquid, pouring off any excess fat. Either serve or discard the cooking vegetables.
• To make the gravy, melt the butter in a small saucepan and stir in the flour, cook for 2 minutes then whisk in the cooking liquid. Simmer for a few minutes. Serve alongside the meat. Delicious with braised red cabbage and roast potatoes.

CIDER-BRAISED PORK LOIN

Steps:

• Heat oven to 250 degrees. Rub rack of ribs with 1 tablespoon salt and 1 teaspoon pepper. Place a 7-quart flameproof casserole or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add 1 tablespoon vegetable oil, and heat until oil is hot but not smoking. Add rack of ribs; brown, 8 to 10 minutes on each side, and remove. Pour out excess fat from the casserole.
• Deglaze the pan: Add 2 cups apple cider; stir with a wooden spoon until bottom of the casserole is clean. Add chicken stock, cider vinegar, onions, thyme, and parsley. Cut 2 apples in half; add to casserole. Return ribs to casserole. Bring to a simmer, transfer casserole to the oven, and cook for 2 hours.
• Heat remaining tablespoon oil in skillet. Season pork loin with 1 tablespoon salt and 1 teaspoon pepper. When oil is hot but not smoking, add loin. It should sizzle as soon as it hits the skillet. Sear until golden brown on all sides, 10 to15 minutes.
• Transfer 2 cups of the cooking liquid from the casserole to a shallow bowl or fat separator, and let stand to cool. Add loin to casserole, return to oven, and cook until meat thermometer inserted into loin registers 150 degrees, about 40 more minutes.
• Skim fat from reserved cooking liquid. Strain liquid; combine in medium saucepan with remaining 2 cups cider. Set over medium heat; simmer until reduced by a little more than half and amber in color and with a slightly viscous consistency.
• Place large skillet over medium heat. Peel and core remaining 2 apples, slice into eighths, and arrange in a single layer in hot skillet. Sprinkle with sugar and season lightly with salt and pepper. Cook until sugar melts, 2 to 3 minutes, and reduce heat. Continue cooking until sugar starts to caramelize, 7 to 8 minutes. Apples should soften and puff, and seared side should start to brown. When the apple slices loosen naturally from pan, turn and cook the other side for 5 to 7 minutes. Add apple-cider sauce to skillet; cook just to heat sauce and dissolve any sugars that have cooked onto pan.
• If using sage leaves, heat about 1/2 inch vegetable oil in heavy skillet over medium heat to just below smoking point. Add sage leaves and fry until crisp. With slotted spoon, transfer to piece of paper towel.
• Slice loin 1/4 inch thick, and cut rack into individual ribs. Serve with apples and sauce, and mashed roasted butternut squash. Garnish with fried sage leaves.

APPLE CIDER PORK POT ROAST

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 325°F (165°C).
• Season the pork with the salt and pepper.
• Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Once the oil is hot, add the pork and brown well on all sides, 3 to 4 minutes per side.
• Remove the pork and add the onion wedges to the pot. Cook for a few minutes, letting them get a little color but being careful not to let them burn.
• Return the pork to the pot, placing it on the bed of onions. Add the cider and 1 cup (235 ml) water and bring to a simmer, then wedge the apple pieces under the meat among the onions. Toss in the thyme.
• Cover and transfer to the oven. Cook for 3 hours, or until the meat is fork-tender, shreds easily, and is a deep brown color; the apples will have caramelized.