Cider Braised Slab Bacon Recipes

CIDER-BRAISED SLAB BACON

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Place bacon in an 8-inch square baking dish, and rub all over with pepper. Bring cider and maple syrup to a boil in a small saucepan, and pour over bacon. Cover with foil, and braise bacon in oven 55 minutes. Turn over bacon, cover, and braise 50 minutes more. Remove foil, and let bacon cool in liquid.
• Remove bacon from braising liquid, and cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices. Transfer liquid to a small saucepan; bring to a boil, and cook until reduced to a glaze (you should have 1/3 cup).
• Toss bacon in glaze to coat, and cook in a nonstick pan or preheated cast-iron skillet over medium heat, turning once, until deep brown and caramelized, 3 to 4 minutes total.

CIDER-BRAISED CABBAGE

Steps:

• Cook 1 sliced red onion and 1 chopped peeled apple in a Dutch oven with vegetable oil over medium heat until softened, about 5 minutes. Add 1/2 head thinly sliced red cabbage, 1 cup apple cider, 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar and 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until the cabbage is tender, 30 minutes.

HARD CIDER-BRAISED SAUSAGES WITH SAUERKRAUT

Steps:

• Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Brown the sausages all over, in batches if necessary, about 5 minutes per batch. Remove to a plate as they brown. Add the onions and cook until softened, about 4 minutes.
• Add the sauerkraut and toss to combine with the onions. Add the thyme, coriander and allspice and stir to combine. Season with pepper. Pour in the cider and reduce by half. Add the stock and brown sugar and return to a simmer. Tuck the sausages back into the pot and simmer, uncovered, until the kraut is very tender and the sauce is flavorful and slightly reduced, 25 to 30 minutes. Season with salt, if needed.
• Bring the sauce to a boil, add the butter and swirl to melt and combine. Serve topped with the parsley.
• Remove any loose leaves from the cabbage head and reserve. Quarter the cabbage and thinly slice, on a mandoline if you have one. (The shreds should be about the thickness of a quarter.) Toss the cabbage in a large bowl with the pickling salt. Work the cabbage through your hands and massage for a minute or two, until the cabbage begins to "sweat" and release some water.
• Thinly slice, then julienne the green apple, leaving the peel on. (Again, use a mandoline if you have one.) Slice the ginger into coins and press with the side of your knife to bruise them slightly and release their oils. Add the apples, ginger and allspice berries to the cabbage and toss well. Let sit for an hour or two, until the cabbage has released quite a bit of water.
• Pack the cabbage mixture into a large, wide-mouthed crock and press down very firmly until the liquid the cabbage has released covers it. (Depending on the age of your cabbage, it may release less water; a fresher cabbage will release a lot of water, while a cabbage that has been stored all winter will release less.) If the cabbage is not covered, mix together 1 quart cold water and 4 1/2 teaspoons pickling salt until dissolved and pour over enough to cover the cabbage.
• Use a couple of the reserved whole cabbage leaves to cover the surface of the cabbage. Cover with a plate (or the weight provided, if you have a fermenting crock) and set something heavy on top to weight it. (You can use cans. Many people like to use a resealable plastic bag filled with the same salted water solution used above because it weights evenly and if it leaks, it doesn't ruin the fermentation process.) Store the crock in a cool, dry place.
• Check the kraut after 2 days. There should be a few bubbles around the sides. Skim any scum that has risen to the surface. Check the kraut every few days and repeat skimming, if needed. Depending on the temperature of your room, the kraut should be ready after about a week. (Some people ferment for a couple of weeks or more, depending on how funky they want their kraut to be.)
• Divide the kraut and pack into jars. Store in the refrigerator. Drain and rinse the kraut well (discarding any ginger pieces) before using.

CIDER-BRAISED CABBAGE

Steps:

• Melt butter in large pot over medium-high heat. Add onion; sauté until beginning to soften, about 5 minutes. Add cabbage; saut;eacute; until slightly wilted, tossing frequently, about 6 minutes. Stir in apple cider. Reduce heat to medium; cover and cook until cabbage is tender, stirring occasionally, about 6 minutes. Uncover; simmer until almost all liquid in pot evaporates, about 3 minutes. Stir in vinegar. Season with salt and pepper.

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 CHEEKS

Steps:

• Season both sides of pork cheeks with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with flour and press it into the meat to coat thoroughly.
• Heat clarified butter in a pan over medium-high heat. Sear meat on both sides until richly browned, adjusting heat lower if necessary. When cheeks are browned, reduce heat to medium. Transfer cheeks to a plate to rest.
• Remove all but 2 tablespoons fat from the skillet. Add onions, carrots, and celery to skillet. Cook and stir until softened and sweet, seasoning with a pinch of salt. Add vinegar and stir to deglaze the pan. Pour in the cider and chicken stock. Bring to a simmer. Add sage and rosemary. Reduce heat to low and transfer cheeks back to pan. Cover. Cook until fork tender but not falling apart, 2 to 3 hours depending on the size of the pork cheeks. Transfer to a plate.
• Bring liquid to a boil over high heat, skimming off fat as it rises to the surface. Reduce volume of liquid by about 60 to 70%. Sauce will start to thicken up. Taste for salt and season as needed. Transfer cheeks back to liquid. Continue to cook over medium-low heat until cheeks are heated through and tender and sauce is thick enough to coat cheeks.

BRAISED CABBAGE AND BACON

Steps:

• In a deep skillet, cook bacon until done.
• Remove bacon from skillet, add the onions.
• Cook onions until translucent.
• Add cabbage and other ingredients, cover.
• Cook until tender.
• Crumble bacon back into pot and stir.
• Serve hot.

BACON-BRAISED MUSTARD GREENS

Steps:

• Rinse greens well. Cut out stems and thick veins; tear leaves into 4- or 5-inch pieces.
• Cook bacon in a large sauté pan until fat starts to render and bacon begins to brown. Add onion, garlic and pepper flakes and sauté until onion is soft, about 7 minutes. Add sugar, vinegar and chicken stock. Heat to boiling, add greens and cook slowly, stirring often as the greens begin to release their own liquid.
• Reduce heat and simmer greens until tender, 10 to 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Season with salt and pepper.