CIDER-BRAISED PORK SHOULDER

A fall-apart pork shoulder is an affordable cut that is easily transformed into a luxurious centrepiece. The meat is braised on low and slow in our maple–apple cider infusion, then finished with a glossy, savoury pan sauce that clings to the meat. Gentle apple notes balance a comforting, and quietly rich sauce when spooned over mashed potatoes or buttered noodles. It's cosy, generous cooking with leftovers worth fighting over. This braise makes full use of the fresh EVOOs in your pantry — Garlic, Rosemary, Thyme, and Orange — alongside Maple Dark Balsamic and our exclusive  Raw Unfiltered Apple Cider Vinegar. 

INGREDIENTS:

• 4–5 lb (2 kg) pork shoulder (bone-in)
• 2 tbsp Rosemary EVOO
• 3 tbsp Garlic EVOO
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• 2 onions, sliced
• 3 carrots, peeled, cut into chunks
• 2 celery stalks, cut into chunks
• 3/4 cup Raw Unfiltered Apple Cider Vinegar
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
• 2 cups quality chicken stock
• 3 tbsp Maple Dark Balsamic
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 2 apples, peeled, cored, then cut in thick slices
• 1 tbsp Orange EVOO, for finished sauce
• 1 Wild Rosemary EVOO, for finished sauce

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 300°. Rub pork with salt and pepper. In Dutch oven over medium heat, add Garlic EVOO. Sear pork on all sides until deeply browned. Remove and set aside.

Add Rosemary and dried thyme to the pot. Stir briefly. Then add onions, carrots, celery and apples. Cook 5 minutes until softened. Add cider vinegar. Simmer until reduced by half and vegetables are glossy, about 5-7 minutes. Stir in tomato paste and Dijon mustard. Cook 1 minute. Add chicken stock and Maple balsamic, scraping up any browned bits.

Return pork to the pot. Liquid should come halfway up the meat. Bring to a simmer, cover, and transfer to oven. Cook 2-1/2 to 3 hours until pork is fall-apart, fork tender.

Remove pork from the pot and set aside. Into a saucepan, pour the braising liquid through a fine mesh strainer to extract all juices. Heat on medium to gentle boil. Whisk in Orange and Rosemary EVOOs. Reduce heat to simmer and cook until slightly thickened and glossy. Taste for seasoning, and add more salt as needed. Serve sliced or pulled, with sauce spooned over meat with mashed potatoes, roasted root vegetables, egg noodles, or polenta. Leftovers make great pulled-pork sandwiches with slaw.