Cider Braised Pork Shoulder at Home

This Cider Braised Pork Shoulder is so tender and savory. A seared bone-in pork shoulder cooks low and slow with vegetables and herbs in an apple cider broth. I like serve this over mashed potatoes or whipped butternut squash for the reliable comfort fall dinner. Yields 6 to 8 servings.

Ever since the first cold wisps of fall I’ve been dying to braise something. Anything. Everything.

So last week I picked a fine sunny yet slightly chilly day, I hit play on my regular playlist and took out my regular dutch oven.

If I had to pick my regular thing to braise, it would be a pork shoulder. Or venison. But being that I had a pork shoulder that I had planned to throw in the slow cooker to make carnitas with, but didn’t because that would involve me going down into our basement storage area and find it, and well, as you can see I’d rather braise in my Staub.

Being that I live in Michigan there’s a cider mill right around the corner from us, so come fall, we always have apple cider in our fridge. Therefore I knew exactly what I was making for dinner with my pork shoulder – and it wasn’t sandwiches.

For this Cider Braised Pork Gather:

• avocado oil
• bone-in pork shoulder
• kosher salt
• freshly ground black pepper
• onion
• carrots
• celery
• garlic
• apple cider
• low-sodium chicken broth
• fresh thyme sprigs
• rainbow carrots

Prep The Pork Shoulder:

Preheat your oven to 300°F (or 150°C).

Always pull a large piece of meat 30 to 60 minutes before searing it. Doing this will take the chill off of it, because you don’t ever want to sear cold meat. Next pat it dry with paper towels.

Then place 2 tablespoons of avocado oil into a large 7-quart Dutch oven and heat to medium-high.

While the pot is preheating season all sides of the pork shoulder generously with kosher salt and black pepper.

Next, sear the meat for 3 to 5 minutes on all sides.

If the roast is sticking, give it another minute and try again.

While your searing the pork, roughly chopped up 1 large onion, 2 carrots, 2 celery stalks and then smash and peel 4 large cloves of garlic.

Once you’ve seared the pork, remove to a clean plate and set off to the side.

Next add in all the chopped vegetables and garlic, and use a wooden spatula to stir while scraping the bottom of the pot.

Nestle the pork shoulder into the vegetables in the pot.

Pour in 2 cups of apple cider and 1 cup low-sodium chicken broth.

Lastly, add in 8 sprigs of fresh thyme.

Cover and slide into your preheated oven for 3 hours.

In the last 10 minutes of cooking, prep 10 rainbow carrots. If you can’t find them, you can of course use regular carrots.

After braising for 3 hours, remove the pot from the oven and preheat your oven to 375°F (or 190°C). The pork will be fall-apart-tender and your home should be smelling notable.

Carefully remove the pork shoulder to a carving board with a juice groove. I use tongs and a large spatula to help lift it out of the pot. Remove the bone and discard.

Use a knife to cut into 8 large chunks. If it falls apart while cutting it (which it may particularly well) no worries.

Using a slotted spoon, remove the veggies, garlic and thyme stems and transfer to a bowl. They’ve done their job flavoring the braising liquids. Allow these to cool before throwing away.

Pour the braising liquids into a fat separator. After a few minutes, the fat will rise to the top.

Pull the plunger out of the spout and pour the braising liquids back into the pot leaving the fat in the separator cup.

Use tongs to add the pork back into the pot with the braising liquids.

Then add in the rainbow carrots. Place the pot, leaving it uncovered, back into the oven for 50 to 60 minutes or until the carrots are fork tender.

The carrots will cook and the pork will get a little crispy on the top.

Serve the cider braised pork and tender carrots over mashed potatoes, cauliflower puree or whipped butternut squash.

Spoon some of the apple cider braising liquids over top and season with a little freshly ground black pepper, and a sprinkle of chopped fresh parsley and thyme.

This luscious and tender cider-braised pork is simple, satisfying and dependable for cooler fall or chilly winter days.

Enjoy! And if you give this Apple Cider Braised Pork Shoulder recipe a try, let me know! Snap a photo and tag me on twitter or instagram!