Braised low and slow in sweet apple cider and fragrant fresh sage, this apple cider braised pork shoulder cooks up fall-apart tender and is a fall dinner favorite!
Pork shoulder is getting the royal treatment today, lemme tell you! Anything that includes a low ‘n’ slow braise in apple cider with a mess of tender vegetables on the side equals a fancy dinner occasion in my mind.
And the best part is that you’re letting your trusty Dutch oven do all the work for you today! You’ll only need a few minutes prep time to get this pork shoulder cooking and then you get to sit back and smell the magic happen.
I say smell because your house is about to fill up with the best fall scents EVER.
We’re especially loving this pork shoulder right now because with all the veggie goodness, it’s an entire meal in one pot! I typically pair bowls with a few thick slices of bread for dipping and call it a day.
This Pork Shoulder features…
- Fall-apart tender braised pork shoulder
- Soft roasted potatoes, carrots, and apples
- A flavorful sage apple cider braising base
Making the Pork Shoulder
(scroll down to the bottom of the post for the full recipe)
Ingredients You Will Need
- Pork shoulder
- Unsalted butter
- Olive oil
- Shallots
- Garlic
- Apple cider
- Beef broth
- Sage
- Potatoes
- Carrots
- Apples
Choosing Your Pork Cut
You will need about 2 lbs pork shoulder for this recipe. Both boneless or bone-in work great with this recipe, however, bone-in may take a little longer to cook up tender. Make sure to cook pork until it pulls apart easily with a fork.
To prep the pork for cooking, pat pork dry with paper towels and use a knife to trim off any excess fat on the outside.
Tips For Perfect Pork Shoulder
- Pan sear pork shoulder – get a good sear on all sides of the pork shoulder before braising. This builds the flavor base for the entire dish.
- Braise pork shoulder 3-1/2 hours at 300F – this low and slow cook time is essential for breaking down the pork shoulder into a tender cut of meat.
- Add vegetables during last hour of cooking – adding the vegetables at this point will keep them from overcooking.
- Add apples after cooking – if you choose to use fresh apples, add them to the pot once its out of the oven, cover pot, and allow to stand 10 minutes until apples are softened.
- Make crispy sage – grab a few sage leaves and cook them in a little butter until crispy. Use crispy sage leaves as a garnish for pork.
Recipe Variations
Try these ideas for a different twist on this pork shoulder.
- Use different vegetables – sweet potatoes, butternut squash, parsnips, or beets would all be great veggie options.
- Try a different herb – try rosemary or thyme sprigs in place of the sage.
Serving Suggestions
I recommend serving this braised pork shoulder like you would any pot roast! It goes great alongside mashed potatoes, buttered noodles, or with some crusty bread slices for dipping in the apple cider sauce.
While the pork shoulder and vegetables cook they’re going to soak up all that amazing sweet apple cider flavor and cook up impossibly tender! Seriously, the pork is so tender you could pull it apart with a spoon.
Comfort food is in the HOUSE!
Save this recipe using the ‘save to recipe box’ button below. If you make it, please let us know! Leave a comment + star rating below, or take a photo and tag it on Instagram with #wholeandheavenlyoven.
Try these other braised dinner favorites next!
Sage Apple Cider Braised Pork Shoulder
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Ingredients
- 2 lbs bone-in or boneless pork shoulder
- Kosher salt and pepper to taste
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 medium shallots, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 3 medium cloves garlic, minced
- 2 cups apple cider
- 1 cup beef broth
- 3 sprigs sage leaves plus 4-6 extra leaves for garnish
- 1 lb baby potatoes
- 2 medium carrots, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 2 small gala or honeycrisp apples, peeled and sliced into 1-inch slices (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 300F. Pat pork shoulder dry with paper towels and season all over with salt and pepper. Heat a Dutch oven (or a large oven-safe high-walled skillet) over medium-high heat, then add 1 tablespoon butter and olive oil and swirl pan. Sear pork shoulder 3-5 minutes on all sides until a deep golden brown. Transfer to a plate and set aside.
- In remaining drippings over medium heat, saute shallot until lightly browned, about 3 minutes. Add garlic and saute 1 additional minute until fragrant. Pour apple cider and beef broth into pan and use a wooden spoon to scrape up any browned bits.
- Add seared pork shoulder and sage to pot and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Cover Dutch oven, place in 300F oven, and let cook 2-1/2 hours.
- Add potatoes, and carrots to pot, cover, and continue roasting an additional 1 hour until pork is fall-apart tender and vegetables are tender. Remove sage sprigs and discard. Optionally, add apples to pot, cover, and allow to sit 10 minutes until apples are softened.
- Melt remaining 1 tablespoon butter over medium heat. Add additional sage leaves in a single layer and sear on both sides until crispy. Drain on paper towels.
- Pull apart pork into bite-sized pieces and top with crispy sage for serving. Serve warm with vegetables and enjoy!
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