Cider-Braised Pork Shoulder with Caramelized Onion Sauce

By á-25087

Adapted recipe by localkitchenblog

Ingredients

• 1 4-lb pork shoulder, preferably bone-in, fat layer trimmed to no thicker than 1/4-inch
• 4 garlic cloves, cut into thick slivers
• sea salt & pepper
• 1 tbsp butter or olive oil
• 1 1/2 lbs onions (5 or 6 medium onions), sliced
• 1 cup apple cider
• 2 tbsp cider vinegar

Preparation

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.

Rinse pork and pat dry. With a small, sharp knife, make slits all over the pork; stuff with garlic slivers. Season liberally with salt & pepper.

In a Dutch oven sized to fit the pork snugly, heat butter or oil over medium-high heat until very hot but not smoking. Brown meat well on all sides (2 to 3 minutes per side), turning to get sides and ends. Transfer pork to a clean plate. Add onions to the Dutch oven and sauté over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until onions are softened and starting to turn brown, about 5 minutes. Reduce heat to low and continue to sauté until onions are golden and lightly caramelized, about 10-20 minutes more.

Stir in cider and vinegar and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer, add pork, cover and braise in the preheated oven until very tender (meat should fall off the bone), 3 hours or more. Transfer pork to a cutting board and let rest while you reduce the sauce. On the stovetop, bring pan juices to a boil and boil hard until the mixture is thickened and reduced, about 5 – 10 minutes. Taste and adjust seasonings. Break the pork into serving-sized chunks and top with hot onion sauce. Serve with mashed potatoes, rice or other grain.