Cold weather is finally here and nothing makes me happier on bleak winter day than meat that has been braised for hours, leaving savory smells that fill your entire house.
If you aren’t familiar with the term “braising,” it is what I would call a winter cooking technique. And is what I commonly refer to as “Crock-Pot dishes.” Braising uses very tough cuts of meat, so cooking them “low and slow” (cooking at a lower temperature for a longer amount of time) really helps to break the meat down so that it is falling off the bone.
If you want to cook this in a slow cooker, you certainly can. But do not skip the first step of browning the meat. This helps to get the skin super crispy, which is my favorite part. I would also advise you to go to the farmers’ market and get your meat from a vendor there. Diet make a huge difference in the way the fat cooks. And most local farmers are feeding their animals a diet that helps give the fat a meatier texture so that it melts in your mouth when you eat it.
Cider Braised Pork Shoulder (Serves 8-10)
8 or 9-pound pork shoulder (bone-in)
1½ cups apple cider
3 garlic cloves
salt and pepper, to taste
6 large onions
2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
1 Tbsp. whole grain mustard
Preheat oven to 325 F.
Prepare the pork and onions for roasting: Score the skin of a bone-in, fresh pork shoulder into a crosshatch pattern, cutting down through the fat to the meat. Then take a thin-bladed knife and pierce little slits all over the pork. Cut the garlic into slivers and poke them into the slits. Dry the meat well, then season it liberally with salt and freshly ground pepper. Cut the onions by halving them lengthwise and thickly slice them.
Brown the meat: In a heavy pot, heat the vegetable oil. Brown the pork on all sides.
When the meat is browned on all sides, remove it to a platter and add the onions to the pot. Cook, stirring occasionally, until they’re fragrant, golden and caramelized. Stir in 1½ tsp. of salt and the apple cider, making sure to scrape up any brown bits at the bottom of the pan. Cook: Return the pork to the pot, cover it securely, and put it into a 325-degree oven for three hours.
Cool: After three hours, remove the pot from the oven, uncover it, and allow it to cool. Put the cover back on and set the pot in the refrigerator overnight.
Reheat: Two or three hours before you plan to serve dinner, take the pot out of the refrigerator and lift off and discard the solidified fat that’s risen to the top. Allow the meat to come back to room temperature, then reheat it in a 325 degree oven for another hour.
Make the sauce: Lift the pork onto a platter and measure the onion-cider mixture that’s left in the pot. If it is more than a quart, bring it to a boil and let it cook furiously until it’s reduced it down. Stir in the mustard and season as needed with salt and pepper. Slice the pork and serve with sauce.
