Braised Pork Shoulder, Apple and Balsamic
Braised pork shoulder, apple and balsamic... easy, wholesome, slow-cooked deliciousness for dinner. This cosy Autumn dinner recipe is perfect for a rainy Sunday when you want something bursting with seasonal flavours - juicy, tender pork shoulder with sweet apples, tangy balsamic and fresh herbs.
Ingredients
- 1 kg boneless pork shoulder
- 1 tbsp cooking oil e.g. sunflower or rapeseed
- 1 whole red onion roughly diced
- 4 whole shallots finely sliced
- 6 cloves garlic roughly sliced
- 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 250 ml apple juice
- 350 ml chicken stock
- bundle fresh sage and thyme
- 2 whole apples we use Pink Lady - firm but sweet
- salt and pepper
Instructions
- Pre-heat the oven to 160C (we'll be cooking this low and slow)
- Get your casserole dish on the burner and set to medium / high, add the oil (we use rapeseed).
- Season the pork shoulder well with salt and pepper and then brown on all sides. Remove from the heat and set aside.
- Turn the pan down and then add red onion, shallots and garlic, sauté for roughly 5 minutes until fragrant and softened. Deglaze with a splash of your chicken stock.
- Return the pork shoulder to the pan, followed by the apple juice, balsamic, chicken stock and fresh herbs. Bring the liquids to a simmer before covering with the lid and transferring the dish to the oven.
- Allow to pork shoulder to cook for 4-5 hours in the oven, turning over about half way through.
- When you have about 30 minutes left on the pork, peel, core and slice the apples into thick wedges (6-8 wedges per apple). Then add the apple wedges to the pork and return to the oven.
- After 30 more minutes, the pork should be tender, juicy and easily shred between forks. The apples should be softened with a small 'bite'.