
This braised pork recipe is a flavor-packed pork dish braised in apple cider and hen inventory till fork tender. We additionally add some recent herbs, roasted garlic and onions for much more wealthy taste.
Combining the savory pork with the candy apple cider and apple slices makes this the proper consolation meals for a cool fall night!
Really useful Gear
Earlier than You Start…
We are going to begin by getting the pork able to be braised. Pat dry the chunks of pork shoulder and season them with salt and pepper. Then you’ll brown the chunks on all sides. This locks within the juices and provides a lot taste to the pork. Don’t skip this step!

What’s Braising?
Braising a technique for cooking meat. It makes use of a mix of each moist and dry warmth to cook dinner the meat till it’s tremendous tender and saucy. On this recipe we sear the pork utilizing a dry warmth, after which the pork is cooked in slightly little bit of liquid (moist warmth) over an extended time frame. Braising creates deep and wealthy flavors and disintegrate tender meat. It’s one in every of my favourite methods to cook dinner meat.
What Do I Must Make Apple Cider Braised Pork?
Listed here are the gadgets you’ll need to make this recipe:
- Pork Butt: I favor to purchase a bone-in pork butter as a result of it has higher taste after which minimize it off the bone into massive chunks for this recipe.
- PRO TIP: I purchase an enormous pork butt and chop it in half, take away the bone after which quarter every half and freeze them in two luggage for 2 separate rounds of braised pork.
- Canola Oil: used to brown the pork chunks
- Braising Liquid: Apple Cider, Hen Inventory, Apple Cider Vinegar, Darkish Brown Sugar, Dijon Mustard, Salt and Pepper
- Aromatics: Garlic, Rosemary, Thyme, and Crimson Onion
- Butter: provides richness and taste to the pork whereas retaining it moist
- Granny Smith Apples: added for the final little little bit of cooking so as to add extra taste and so they make a scrumptious addition to the meal
That is meant to only be an summary of the components. Hold scrolling right down to the recipe card to see all of the measurements wanted for every ingredient.

Learn how to Make Braised Pork
One of many issues I really like about this recipe is that could be a one-pot meal! All the things will be browned, braised and served proper from this one dutch oven. Listed here are the steps for making this recipe:
- Prep: Preheat the oven. Pat the pork dry and season with salt and pepper.
- Sear: Brown the pork on all sides in slightly oil in a big dutch oven (see part beneath in the event you don’t have a dutch oven).
- Braising Liquid: Whereas the pork sears, whisk collectively all of the components for the braising liquid.
- Mix: As soon as the pork is seared on all sides, pour the braising liquid in and add the herbs, onions, head of garlic and butter.
- Braise: Cowl the pot and place within the oven to cook dinner low and sluggish. Flip the pork midway by way of the braising time.
- Apples: Peel, core and slice the apples into wedges and add them the pot to cook dinner for an additional hour or so.
- Relaxation: Take away the pot from the oven let the cooked pork relaxation within the sauce for about 20 minutes.
- Last Touches: Squeeze the roasted garlic out of the peels, smash the cloves and blend them into the sauce.
- Serve: Slice or shred the pork and serve with the apples, onions and sauce spooned excessive.
The total detailed directions for making this recipe will be discovered within the recipe on the finish of this publish. You can too save or print the recipe from there.
What If I Don’t Have a Dutch Oven?
For those who don’t have a dutch oven, or one other oven secure pot with a lid, sear the pork in a skillet on range and transfer the pork to a deep casserole dish. Pour the braising liquid excessive and add the remainder of the components. Then cowl with foil and bake within the oven because the instructions state.

Why is My Pork Shoulder Robust?
Pork shoulder will be fairly powerful if it isn’t cooked correctly. In case your pork is hard, it in all probability simply wants extra cooking time. Braising a pork shoulder over a protracted time frame breaks down the collagen down creating tender, disintegrate pork.
What’s the Distinction Between Pork Shoulder and Pork Butt?
There isn’t any distinction! Pork shoulder and pork butt are the identical factor. Pork shoulder really comes from the pig’s shoulder, so the place on this planet does pork butt come from? The identify “pork butt” dates again to Colonial occasions when Boston butchers would pack the pork shoulder in barrels that they known as butts.
Listed here are another names that you simply may see tossed round for pork shoulder:
- Picnic shoulder
- Pork butt
- Boston butt
- Boston shoulder
- Contemporary pork butt
- Boston butt roast
- Shoulder roast

What to Serve with Braised Pork Butt?
Going proper together with the consolation meals theme, we love this pork excessive of creamy mashed potatoes! The braising liquid turns into probably the most delicious sauce! Listed here are a number of concepts of what to serve with this recipe:
Why You Will Love This Recipe
Simple: In addition to browning the pork, all you need to do with this recipe is add components to a pot and let it braise within the oven for a number of hours. It couldn’t be simpler! And it may well all be performed in a single pot!
Consolation Meals: This braised pork recipe simply requires cool fall night with the fam or pricey associates. It warms the stomach and the soul!
Finances-Pleasant: Pork shoulder is without doubt one of the most inexpensive meats on the market and you’ll normally get fairly good offers on at Costco or on the grocery retailer. Just about all the remainder of the components are pantry or produce staples.
Spectacular: The completed recipe seems to be like one thing you’ll order at a flowery restaurant that took hours to make. You dinner friends will likely be completely impressed and solely you’ll know the way completely easy it was.
Storing and Reheating
Retailer leftover braised pork shoulder within the fridge in an hermetic container. It would preserve for 4-5 days.
This recipe additionally freezes fairly properly. Let it cool utterly after which retailer it in a freezer secure container or ziploc bag. Lay it flat within the freezer. It would preserve for as much as 3 months. Let it thaw within the fridge in a single day earlier than reheating.
Reheat refrigerated braised pork on the range high or within the oven in a dutch oven till heated by way of. Add extra liquid if wanted.

I’m unsure why pork with apple is such a heavenly mixture but it surely shines on this apple cider braised pork recipe. Savory tender fork braised with onions, apple cider, hen inventory and recent herbs will virtually soften in your mouth with each chunk.
Extra Pork Recipes to Die for:
Forestall your display from going darkish
-
Preheat an oven to 325. Pat the pork items dry with a paper towel and season with kosher salt and pepper.
5 lb Pork Butt, Kosher Salt, Black Pepper
-
Warmth the oil in a big dutch oven over medium-high warmth. As soon as the oil is sizzling, put the pork in, in a single layer. Sear for 4-5 minutes per aspect till the pork is deeply browned. Repeat on both sides.
2 Tablespoons Canola Oil
-
Whereas the pork is searing, whisk collectively the apple cider, hen inventory, vinegar, brown sugar, mustard and a pinch of salt and pepper and put aside.
2 1/2 Cups Apple Cider, 1 1/2 Cups Hen Inventory, 2 Tablespoons Apple Cider Vinegar, 2 Tablespoons Darkish Brown Sugar, 2 teaspoons Dijon Mustard, Kosher Salt, Black Pepper
-
As soon as the pork is browned throughout, pour within the braising liquid. Organize the herbs and onions across the pork in a pan. Place the garlic head within the pot with the pork, and the butter on high of the pork. Cowl and place within the oven.
1 Head Garlic, 3 Sprigs Rosemary, 4 Sprigs Thyme, 1 Crimson Onion, 1 Tablespoon Butter
-
Braise for 3 hours, begin checking at 2 1/2 hours for boneless), flip the pork midway by way of. As soon as the pork is simply shy of fork tender, take away the pork from the oven and prepare the apples across the pork. Cowl and return to the oven for 50 minutes to 1 hour.
2 Granny Smith Apples
-
The pork needs to be very tender at this level. Take away the pork and let it relaxation 20 minutes earlier than serving.
-
Squeeze the garlic cloves out, smashing them as you do and add again into the broth. Serve with the apples, onions and sauce over the pork.
Energy: 4126kcal