Virginia knows pork, and this time of year, the Mountains know apples. Apple and pork have always been a classic pair, but with bright cider cooking down together, this feels like fall in a pot.
We ended up serving it for a last-minute Sunday supper with our neighbors and let me tell ya honey, as unfussy as this dish is it's a crowd pleaser. The best sign of a good meal is when everyone is quiet because they're too busy eating.
Jump to:
Cozy Apple Cider Braised Pork Shoulder
This is a great recipe when you're having a lazy day or have a lot on your plate, like on the holidays.
A slow braise with shallots, a handful of herbs, and a splash of citrusy beer turned this affordable and humble cut into something you want to serve the family during the holidays over a scoop over a big pile of buttery mashed potatoes.
All I do is bloom the flavors of our aromatics (those shallots, herbs, and spices) in fat before we add the pork and slide it right in the oven. That quick sauté really gets the flavors to bloom well so we get the perfect blend of sweet, spiced, and savory.
Ingredients Needed
Full ingredients, measurements, and printable instructions are in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- Pork Shoulder - this part is known as a Boston butt or pork butt (don't get a full shoulder or a picnic shoulder). It's full of connective tissue and collagen, perfect for braising.
- Butter, Shallot, Garlic, Thyme, Sage, + Rosemary - shallots have a more gentle onion flavor that won't overpower the herbs.
- Apple Butter - while developing this recipe, I wanted to have a rich, deep apple flavor without mushy braised apples in the mix. Apple butter was the fix.
- Orange Peel, Whole Grain Mustard, Cinnamon Stick, + Star Anise - the cinnamon and anise really play well with all our fall flavors without making this taste like an apple cider donut or something.
- Apple Cider, Chicken Broth, + Citrus-forward Beer - this is the braising liquid. I used Blue Moon for the beer, I wanted the earthy flavor of beer but also citrus to go along with the apple cider.
Ingredient Swaps
- No fresh herbs? Dried works perfectly, but use ground rosemary instead of whole dried ones.
- No shallots? Use half a yellow onion and be sure to sauté it until it gets golden brown on the edges and mellows out.
- No apple butter? The apple flavor will be less pronounced but the apple cider will still give us plenty of flavor.
- No beer? You can swap it for more apple cider or a hard cider instead.
How to Make My Apple Cider-Braised Pork Shoulder Recipe
Step 1
Season + sauté.
Pat pork shoulder dry and season generously with kosher salt and pepper. Melt butter in a Dutch oven. Cook shallots until golden, then stir in garlic, spices, herbs, and Dijon.
Step 2
Deglaze with beer.
Pour in the beer, scraping up any browned bits at the end. Let it simmer for a couple minutes.
Step 3
Build the braise and roast.
Add cider and stock, taste, and season the liquid with more salt as needed. Nestle pork into the pot and braise uncovered at 325°F for 3½–4 hours, until fork-tender.
Step 4
Shred and serve.
Rest the pork, shred with two forks, skim fat from the liquid, then stir it all together.
Serve the pork and cider jus over mashed potatoes, cheesy grits, rice, or with a nice piece of crusty homemade bread.
Equipment I Used
Chef's Tips for Braising Success
- Don’t rush the braise. The connective tissues and collagen need time to break down so if the pork is still tough after 3½ hours, keep on cooking.
- Season generously. This is a big cut of meat so don’t be shy with the salt and pepper. It'll season the broth, too!
- Choose the right cut. Go for pork shoulder (called 'butt'). Pork loin or tenderloin will dry out over a long cook time.
Troubleshooting/FAQs
Balance it out with a splash of apple cider vinegar, Dijon mustard, or even a squeeze of lemon juice.
Not for this recipe. The shallots, mustard, and beer create plenty of flavor. If you like deeper browning, you can sear before braising.
It just needs more time. Pork shoulder has lots of connective tissue that melts down slowly so keep braising until it’s fork-tender. Add extra apple cider or broth if needed.
Keep the pork in its braising liquid so it stays moist. Reheat gently on the stovetop or in the oven at 325ºF until it's warmed through.
Serving Suggestions
This cider-braised pork shoulder begs for sides that soak up all that apple-herb gravy:
- Mashed potatoes, like you see served with this dish here.
- Cheese grits, because grits and slow roasted saucy dinners go hand in hand.
- Braised greens, like classic southern collards!
- With holiday sides, because this is great for a low-effort/high reward Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner!
- Leftovers. Pile the pork on sandwiches with slaw, tuck into tacos, or spoon over rice for quick weeknight bowls.
Craving more cozy recipes? Sign up for the Sweet Tea & Thyme newsletter, save this recipe with the Pin button. If you whip it up, tag me (@sweet_tea_thyme on IG/@sweetteaandthyme on TikTok) and don’t forget to leave a star rating and note below, it helps more than you know, friend.
Easy Cider Braised Pork Shoulder
Ingredients
- 4 pounds pork shoulder, boneless
- 2 tablespoon kosher salt, divided
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 2 large shallots, thinly sliced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 tablespoon apple butter
- 2 sprigs fresh rosemary
- 4-5 sprigs fresh thyme, leaves removed from stem
- 3 sprigs fresh sage, finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1-2 strips orange peel, use a vegetable peeler for wide strips, avoiding the white pith
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1 whole star anise
- 1 cup citrus-forward beer, such as Blue Moon or wheat ale
- 2 cups apple cider, not apple juice
- 2 cups low-sodium chicken stock
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325ºF (165ºC). Pat the pork dry, then season it on all sides generously with about 2 tablespoon of kosher salt and the teaspoon of black pepper.4 pounds pork shoulder, 2 tablespoon kosher salt, 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- In a large 5 or 7 qt Dutch oven, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the shallots, season with a teaspoon of salt, and cook until softened and lightly golden, about 3 minutes.2 tablespoon unsalted butter, 2 large shallots
- Stir in the rest of our aromatics including the mustard, herbs, garlic, orange, apple butter, and spices. Let it all bloom in the butter for 2 minutes, until very fragrant.4 cloves garlic, 2 sprigs fresh rosemary, 4-5 sprigs fresh thyme, 3 sprigs fresh sage, 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard, 1-2 strips orange peel, 1 cinnamon stick, 1 whole star anise, 3 tablespoon apple butter
- Pour the beer in the pot, scraping up any brown bits from the bottom. Simmer for 3 minutes to reduce slightly.1 cup citrus-forward beer
- Add in the apple cider and chicken stock. Season with the rest of the salt, then nestle in the pork shoulder. It should be ⅔ of the way submerged, if not, add more stock.2 cups apple cider, 2 cups low-sodium chicken stock
- Put the pot, uncovered, to the oven and roast for 3½-4 hours, until the pork is fork tender and shreds easily or at an internal temperature of 200ºF to 205ºF using an instant read meat thermometer.
- Braise. Transfer, uncovered, to the oven. Roast 3½–4 hours, until the pork is fork-tender and shreds easily (internal temp around 200–205°F).
- Serve the pork and jus over mashed potatoes, grits, rice, or with crusty bread.
Recipe Notes
Chef's Tips
- Blooming the orange peel, cinnamon, and star anise with the aromatics gives you a warm, spiced base that perfumes the whole braise. It totally elevates the dish.
- If your cider is real sweet, add in 1–2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar or an extra spoonful of Dijon.
- Keep the pork submerged and add more stock if needed while in the oven.
- The flavors deepen overnight, the leftovers are even better the next day!
Leave a Reply