The best thing about inventing recipes is re-inventing them to make them even better! This weekend, still riding on the novelty value of my new Slow Cooker, I decided to re-work my Cider Roasted Pork recipe by adding a braising stage, with the aim of creating a meltey, ‘pulled pork’ style roast, bursting with the flavour of the cider it was cooked in.
Now, I realise that introducing an 8-hour braising stage to the recipe sort of detracts from the quickie element, but what this recipe gains in cooking time, it loses in preparation time, and the input from your good self is quite minimal. Simply stick it in the slow cooker before work, let it get on with it all day, and wack it in the oven when you get home. Easy! If you don’t have a slow cooker, get one, but until you do, stick with my non-braised Cider Pork recipe.
The resulting Pork is delicious served with mustard mash and some buttery greens (hey, I never said this was Weight Watchers), as well as making an amazing sandwich filling the next day.
Ingredients (serves 4)
Boneless Pork Shoulder Joint
1ltr of good quality cider
4 cloves of garlic, skin on
2 bay leaves
2 tablespoons of plain flour
1 tablespoon of butter
Salt/pepper
Directions
Place the pork joint in your slow cooker with garlic and bay leaves and pour over al of the cider. Still the lid on and cook on a low setting for no less and 7 hours and no more than 12 hours.
When Pork has finished braising, remove from the slow cooker and set on some kitchen roll to drain off excess liquid. Score the fat and rub salt and a little pepper onto the fat. Place into the oven at 200C/Gas mark 5 for 30mins to crisp and brown the fat. Baste with a ladle-full of cider cooking liquid half way through.
Meanwhile, use the rest of the liquid to make a gravy. In a saucepan, melt the butter and mix in flour to make a paste. Whisk in cooking liquid and brick to the boil to thicken. Season with salt and pepper.
Remove pork from oven, and pull apart with a knife and fork (this should be easy thanks to the braising!) to get succulent chunks of meat resembling peking duck. Serve with potatoes, greens and the delicious cider gravy.