Name: Apple cider braised pork shoulder
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 3 h 30 min
Total time: 3 h 50 min
Yield: 8
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 4 lb boneless pork shoulder (cut in 3 large pieces); 1 tbsp kosher salt; 1 tsp black pepper; 2 tbsp vegetable oil; 2 onions (sliced); 3 apples (cut in wedges, Honeycrisp or Braeburn); 4 cloves garlic; 2 cups hard or fresh apple cider; 1 cup chicken broth; 2 tbsp Dijon mustard; 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar; 4 sprigs thyme, 2 bay leaves

Apple cider braised pork shoulder

Prep 20 min Cook 3 hr 30 min Total 3 hr 50 min Servings 8

Published Oct 11, 2026 · Updated Oct 11, 2026

About this recipe

I only post recipes that I have tried and verified and are good to my taste — all taste may vary.

Add delicate ingredients like apples near the end of a braise so they soften without collapsing into mush.

Method

01

Season pork with salt and pepper. Heat oven to 300°F.
02

Brown pork well in oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high, 12 minutes; remove.
03

Cook onions 8 minutes, add garlic 1 minute, then cider, scraping the bottom. Whisk in broth and mustard.
04

Return pork with thyme and bay, cover and braise in the oven 3 hours.
05

Add apple wedges for the last 30 minutes so they hold their shape.
06

Shred pork, skim the sauce, add vinegar and reduce on the stove 10 minutes. Toss pork back in.

Apple cider braised pork shoulder

Techniques in this recipe

Ingredients

Method

Notes & swaps

Apple cider braised pork shoulder

Techniques in this recipe

Ingredients

Method

Notes & swaps

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