cider braised pork with shallots & apple

When I started trying to evolve my cooking skills to a more technical level I remember obsessing with complicated stuff, using 209,137 pots and pans and searching for hard to get ingredients. After that fad passed there were a good three months where all I did every sunday was patiently cook braised meat and chicken, & baked fresh, gluten free bread from scratch. After all my efforts I still cannot be consistent with the bread but I think my braised meat is at a very high level. Below you can find the first recipe I tried which is the simplest I have and I will slowly post the more complicated ones with some surprise ingredients like chocolate...

What I am trying to do here is combine the nice juicy, tender, fragrant result of the braising method with the nicely caramelized exterior of a roast.

Ingredients: - 3 tbs sunflower oil - 2kg pork shoulder(with the bone) - 100ml cider vinegar - 200ml apple juice (no added sugar) - 200ml hard cider - 15 shallots - 1 red apple - 1 tbs honey - 3 sprigs of thyme - 2 garlic - 3 clove studs - 2 bay leafs - 1 tbs honey - 1 tbs butter - salt & pepper to taste

Directions: 1. score the fat layer and liberally season the meat with salt & pepper. 2. place a wide bottomed heavy skillet on the stove & bring the temperature to high, once it reaches the desired temperature, add 3 tbs of sunflower oil to the skillet & then the meat. Brown the meat evenly on each side, approx. 3 minutes per side. 3. remove from the heat & remove the pork & place it on a plate. Drain the oil from the pan. Return the pan to the stove top & lower the heat to medium. Add the shallots & the butter to the pan. Use a spatula to stir the shallots & at the same time, scrape the brown bits from the bottom of the pan left from the pork. Cook for five minutes, stirring occasionally. 4. add vinegar, juice, cider, honey, apple, bay leaf, clove, thyme to the shallots, stir to combine everything & transfer the mixture into a dutch oven together with the meat. If the liquid does not cover the meat completely, top it up with vegetable stock until the meat is submerged by 2/3. 5. set the oven to 160ºC & cook for 3 hours. 6. remove from the oven & carefully remove the liquid & transfer it into a pot. Return the pork & shallots back to the oven for another hour so that the exterior obtains a nice caramelization. 7. slowly simmer the liquid until it thickens to a nice sauce. 8. remove the pork from the oven, pour half of the sauce back onto the pork & onions after they have been transferred to a serving platter & put the rest of the sauce in a gravy boat. Serve hot.

Tips: - if you want to avoid the transfer either cook in the dutch oven with the braising liquid covering most of the meat or place it in a wide roasting pan as you would a typical roast beef. - the cut of meat is the front shoulder with part of the leg...you can use the back leg as well and make sure to score the fat.

By the way...

If you're interested in the type of stuff I keep stocked in my kitchen or the equipment that I use regularly... here's a pretty comprehensive list.

Tools/ Equipment/ Machinery/ Ingredients:

Machinery:

Electric Scale - Etekcity - http://amzn.to/2xkKpQk

Hand Mixer - Kenwood - http://amzn.to/2xkjowh

Stand Mixer - Kenwood - http://amzn.to/2yqXPiH

Candy Thermometer - Etekcity - http://amzn.to/2xklw7k

Food Processor - Cuisinart - http://amzn.to/2xkkZqK

Blender - Kenwood - http://amzn.to/2xXQgwU

Tools:

Silicone Spatula - Zyliss - http://amzn.to/2y3Srkw

Chef's Knife 8" - Miyabi - http://amzn.to/2fUtyRK

Pots & Pans:

Cast Iron Skillet 12" - Lodge - http://amzn.to/2fMHb1x Cast Iron Pot 5.5 Quart - La Cocotte Staub - http://amzn.to/2fUqxAG

Cast Iron Grill Skillet 10.5" - Lodge - http://amzn.to/2z2GPwi

Cake tins & Pie Plates:

Bunt Pan - Nordic Ware - http://amzn.to/2xjGB1N

Square Cake Tin - Patisse - http://amzn.to/2xkn5Ce

Springform cake tin 22cm (9”) - Farberware - http://amzn.to/2xkdQ4T

Ceramic Pie Plate- Emile Henry - http://amzn.to/2gex5qR

Cupcake Tin - Wilton - http://amzn.to/2xkp4GG

Tart Tin Loose Bottom 9.5” - Patisse - http://amzn.to/2xje3u2

Decorating Equipment:

Non-Slip Pipping Bags - Pastry Gear - http://amzn.to/2fLxAZ0

Pipping Tips - Wilton - http://amzn.to/2yJVPy1

Food Gels - Wilton - http://amzn.to/2kpOCky

Fondant Smoother - Wilton - http://amzn.to/2xkyZRl

Fondant Modelling Tools - Happisland - http://amzn.to/2xjOWSV Fondant Rolling Pin - Wilton - http://amzn.to/2xkbLe5

Fondant Rolling Mat - The Mat - http://amzn.to/2y2bg76

Ingredients:

Active Dry Yeast - Bob's Red Mill - http://amzn.to/2gcC2R4

Almond Flour - Bob's Red Mill - http://amzn.to/2xkP3xI

Arrow root - Bob’s Red Mill - http://amzn.to/2ycT0WF

Baking Powder - Bob's Red Mill - http://amzn.to/2xkJz5U

Bicarbonate of Soda - Bob's Red Mill - http://amzn.to/2yL7Lj4

Brown Rice Flour - Bob's Red Mill - http://amzn.to/2z1MUt1

Buckwheat Flour - Anthony’s Organic - http://amzn.to/2xjRS6T

Cocoa Powder - Valrhona - https://amzn.to/2ouIwlr Coconut Flour - Bob's Red Mill - http://amzn.to/2xkAHNX

Flaxseed Meel - Bob's Red Mill - http://amzn.to/2ybK0Rm

Millet flour - Bob’s Red Mill - http://amzn.to/2iBZqYw

Oat Flour - Bob's Red Mill - http://amzn.to/2fNUuyZ

Potato Starch - Bob's Red Mill - http://amzn.to/2yKpYgH

Quinoa Flour - Amisa Organic - https://amzn.to/2oyWVg9 Sorghum Flour - Bob's Red Mill - http://amzn.to/2yClSf5 Sweet White Rice Flour - Bob's Red Mill - http://amzn.to/2y2xmXK

Tapioca Starch - Bob's Red Mill - http://amzn.to/2xjv879

Vanilla Extract Organic - Simply Organic - http://amzn.to/2xXdt2e

Vanilla Beans - Vanilla Products - http://amzn.to/2yLMqWQ

White Flour GF - Dove's Farm - http://amzn.to/2z1b5I1​

Xanthan Gum - Bob's Red Mill - http://amzn.to/2zoYxuC

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