Slow Cooker Cider-Braised Pork with Sage
A comforting, slow‑cooked pork shoulder infused with sweet apple, fragrant sage, and a tangy cider broth, perfect for hearty family meals.
8 hrs 25 mins
5 servings
Ingredients
- 1 ¼ cups Low-Sodium Chicken Broth
- 3 ¾ pounds Pork Shoulder
- 5 cloves of Garlic
- 2 ½ tablespoons Parsley (Fresh)
- 1 ¼ Yellow Onion
- 2 teaspoons Kosher Salt
- 1 ¼ tablespoons Apple Cider Vinegar
- 1 ¼ cups Apple Cider
- 1 ¼ Bay Leaves
- 1 ¼ teaspoons Black Pepper
- 2 ½ tablespoons Sage (Fresh)
- 2 ½ tablespoons Olive Oil
- 1 ¼ tablespoons Brown Sugar
- 3 Apples
Directions
- Mise en place: quarter the yellow onion, mince the garlic cloves, chop the sage leaves, cut the apples into wedges, and roughly tear the parsley.
- Pat the pork shoulder dry with paper towels, then sprinkle the 1 1/2 tsp salt and 1 tsp black pepper over the surface, rubbing it in evenly.
- Place a Dutch oven on the stove, add 2 Tbsp olive oil, and bring to a medium‑high heat; brown the seasoned pork on every side for roughly eight minutes, then transfer the meat to a slow‑cooker insert.
- Return the empty pot to the burner, toss in the chopped onion and sauté until it turns translucent, about four minutes; introduce the minced garlic and chopped sage, stirring for half a minute until aromatic.
- Deglaze the pot by pouring in 1 cup apple cider followed by 1 cup chicken broth, then stir in 1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar and 1 Tbsp brown sugar, scraping up any caramelized bits; drop in the bay leaf and ladle this mixture over the pork in the slow cooker.
- Seal the slow cooker and cook on the LOW setting for eight hours, or on HIGH for four hours, until the pork easily pulls apart with a fork.
- During the final hour on LOW (or the last thirty minutes on HIGH), nestle the apple wedges into the simmering broth so they soften and infuse flavor.
- Discard the bay leaf, shred the pork directly in the sauce, taste and adjust salt if necessary, then sprinkle the torn parsley over the top before serving.
