Apple-Cider Braised Pork Shoulder

Name: Apple-Cider Braised Pork Shoulder
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 2 h 15 min
Total time: 2 h 25 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 0.33 cup Apple Cider Vinegar; 0.5 tsp Black Pepper; 1 pinch Cayenne Pepper; 0.5 cup Crème Fraîche; 0.25 cup Fresh Chives; 750 ml Hard Cider; 1 whole Onion; 3 lb Seasoned Pork Shoulder Roast; 1 tsp Seasoned Salt; 1 tbsp Vegetable Oil

Dinner 🍽️Lunch 🥪 American High-Protein 💪Sugar-Free Carnivore 🥩Comfort-Food

Apple-Cider Braised Pork Shoulder features succulent pork simmered low and slow with onions, sage, and hard cider until fork-tender, then finished with crème fraîche for a silky, lightly tangy sauce. The balance of apple brightness, herbal warmth, and gentle heat makes it special. Serve for a cozy weekend dinner or an autumn gathering with mashed potatoes or crusty bread.

Prep10 mins
Cook2 hrs 15 mins
Serves4
DifficultyMedium

1

Generously salt all sides of the pork shoulder chunks. Heat oil in a heavy pot over high heat. Brown the pork shoulder pieces until well seared and crusty, about 3 to 4 minutes per side. Transfer the browned pork to a plate. Add the onions to the oil, reduce heat to medium, and season with a pinch of salt and pepper. Cook and stir for about 2 minutes. Add the torn sage leaves and cook, stirring often, until the onions soften and start to brown. Pour the cider into the pot and stir to deglaze the bottom. Increase heat to high and bring to a boil. Stir in the cider vinegar. Reduce the heat to low.
2

Return the pork shoulder pieces to the cider mixture. Cover and simmer gently on low for 1 hour. Remove the lid and turn the pieces over. Cover again and simmer on low until the meat is fork-tender, 1 to 2 more hours. Transfer the pork to a bowl with a slotted spoon.
3

Increase heat to high and bring the sauce to a simmer. Whisk in the creme fraiche. Simmer until the liquid reduces by half and is slightly thickened, 8 to 10 minutes. Stir in a pinch of cayenne. Return the pork to the pot and reduce the heat to low. Baste the pork with the sauce as it heats through and becomes perfectly tender, and the sauce reaches your preferred thickness, about 15 more minutes.