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 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.

PORK ROAST WITH HARD CIDER GRAVY

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
• Heat a large Dutch oven over medium heat. When the pan is hot, add 2 tablespoons of butter. Season the pork generously with salt and pepper, to taste, and sear on all sides in the hot pan until golden brown; set aside. Add the onions and apples and season again with salt and pepper. Cook until they begin to caramelize, then pour in the hard cider and scrape the brown bits off the bottom of the pan. Bring to a simmer and nestle the browned pork roast back into the pan. Cover with a lid and put in the oven to braise until the internal temperature reaches 145 degrees F on an instant-read thermometer, 25 to 30 minutes.
• Remove the pork roast from the pot and transfer to a carving board; tent with foil to keep warm. Transfer the contents of the pot to a food processor or blender and puree, then return the puree to the pan. Bring to a boil, season with salt and pepper, to taste, then reduce the heat to low and add more cider if gravy is too thick. Add the remaining tablespoon of cold butter, whisking constantly as it melts. Remove from heat when the gravy is smooth and shiny and the butter is completely melted.
• Slice pork loin roast and arrange on a serving platter. Serve with sauce and enjoy!

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.

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.

CIDER BRINED PORK ROAST

Steps:

• In a medium saucepan, bring 2 cups cider, 1/3 cup salt, brown sugar, torn bay leaves, cloves and peppercorns to a boil. Remove from heat, stir in 2 cups each water and cider; cool to room temperature.
• Place pork loin in a 2 gallon resealable plastic bag and pour cooled brine mixture over. Allow meat to brine, refrigerated for at least 8 hours or up to 1 day.
• Preheat oven to 350°F Finely chop garlic, 1 sprig rosemary and remaining bay leaf. Add remaining salt and ground pepper; mash into a paste with the flat side of a knife.
• Remove pork from brine (discard liquid), pat dry, and rub with garlic-herb mixture. Place in large roasting pan and scatter apples and onions around it. Break remaining rosemary sprig into 4 pieces, scatter atop apples and onions. Transfer pan to oven and roast meat until internal temperature reaches 160F, about 1 hour, 15 minutes. Transfer pork loin to serving platter with all but 4 pieces each apple and onion. Allow meat to rest 15 minutes before serving.
• Meanwhile, place roasting pan with drippings, reserved onions and apples on stove top over medium heat and add remaining 1 cup cider plus 1 cup water. Cook, scraping browned bits from bottom of pan until liquid is hot, about 2 minutes. Strain mixture into bowl, pressing liquid from solids; set aside. Return roasting pan to stove top and melt butter over medium-high heat. Sprinkle in flour and whisk until golden brown. Whisk in reserved cider mixture and continue to whisk until gravy is smooth. Serve hot with pork roast.

SLOW-COOKER CIDER BRAISED PORK

Steps:

• Spray 5- to 6-quart slow cooker with cooking spray. Place onion in slow cooker.
• In 12-inch skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Sprinkle pork with salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Cook pork in oil about 10 minutes, turning frequently, until brown on all sides. Place pork over onion in slow cooker. In small bowl, mix cider and honey. Pour around pork.
• Cover; cook on Low heat setting 8 to 9 hours. Remove pork from slow cooker to cutting board; let stand 5 minutes. Shred pork into chunks, using 2 forks. Skim fat from cooking liquid in slow cooker. In small bowl, mix cornstarch and water; stir into cooking liquid. Increase heat setting to High. Cook 1 to 2 minutes, stirring constantly, until gravy is thickened.
• Heat mashed potatoes as directed on package. Serve pork with mashed potatoes and gravy. Sprinkle with additional pepper.

HARD CIDER-BRAISED PORK SHOULDER

Steps:

• Rinse the pork and pat it dry. Using a thin, sharp boning knife, make ten to twelve deep, narrow slits in the pork and insert a sliver of garlic into each. Season the meat generously all over with salt and pepper, and then use kitchen twine to tie the shoulder into a compact, uniform shape. If it isn't already, allow it to come to room temperature.
• Heat a large, heavy Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the oil and sear the pork on all sides, taking your time, turning it frequently and adjusting the heat as necessary to avoid scorching. Done properly, this will take about 20 minutes.
• Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 300°F.
• Transfer the pork to a large plate. Pour off all but 1 tablespoon of the fat in the pan, and add the onion, carrot, and apple. Season with salt and pepper, and sauté over medium heat until they are golden brown and soft, 3 to 4 minutes. Add both ciders and the halved head of garlic, and bring to a simmer. Return the pork to the pan. Put a piece of parchment or aluminum foil over the meat, folding it down around it so that it makes a snug tent. Cover the pot with a tight-fitting lid, and place it in the middle of the oven. Cook until the pork is very tender, about 3 hours, turning it once or twice to keep all sides moist.
• Transfer the meat to a platter to rest before slicing. Strain the broth, discarding the apple and vegetables. Skim the fat from the pan juices and return the juices to the pan. Over medium heat, reduce to about 2 cups. Adjust the seasoning, and serve with the pork.

CIDER-BRAISED PORK SHOULDER WITH CARAMELIZED ONIONS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325°F.
• Score fat and any skin on pork in a crosshatch pattern. Make slits all over meat with a small sharp knife and insert a garlic sliver in each slit. Pat pork dry and season with salt and pepper.
• Heat oil in a 4- to 5-quart ovenproof heavy pot over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, then brown meat on all sides, turning occasionally with the aid of tongs and a carving fork, about 8 minutes. Transfer pork to a plate.
• Add onions to pot and sauté over moderately high heat, stirring occasionally, until softened and starting to turn golden, about 5 minutes. Add 3/4 teaspoon salt and sauté, stirring occasionally, until onions are golden and caramelized, 8 to 10 minutes more.
• Stir in cider and return pork to pot.
• Cover pot with a tight-fitting lid and braise pork in middle of oven until very tender, 2 1/2 to 3 hours.
• Transfer pork to a serving dish with the aid of tongs and carving fork. Boil cooking juices with onions until mixture is reduced to about 2 cups, 2 to 3 minutes, then season with salt and pepper and serve with pork.

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.