When the weather turns cool, few dinners beat this one: tender pork, sweet apples, and a cider sauce that makes the whole house smell like fall.

What Ingredients Do You Need To Make Cider-Braised Pork Shoulder?

• Pork Shoulder/Butt
• Onions
• Apples
• Garlic
• Apple Cider
• Chicken Broth
• Cider Vinegar
• Thyme
• Rosemary
• Bay Leaf
• Dijon or Whole Grain Mustard

How Do You Make Cider-Braised Pork Shoulder?

Start by seasoning the pork shoulder generously on all sides with salt and pepper. Then heat the oil in a large pot over medium-high heat and sear the pork until it’s deeply browned all over. Don’t rush this step. That dark crust is where much of the dish’s flavor comes from, and the slow cooker can’t create it on its own. Once it’s browned, move the pork to the slow cooker.

Add the onions to the same pot and cook them until they soften and start to caramelize, scraping up all the browned bits the pork left behind. Those bits are pure flavor, and the moisture from the onions helps lift them right off the bottom. Stir in the garlic for a minute, then pour in the cider, broth, and vinegar. The vinegar keeps the sauce from tasting too sweet by adding a little brightness to balance the cider. Stir in the mustard, thyme, rosemary, and bay leaf.

Pour everything over the pork, nestle the apple wedges around it, and cover. Cook on low for 7 to 8 hours, until the pork is fork-tender. Pork shoulder is full of connective tissue, and that long, gentle cook is what breaks it down into something incredibly juicy and tender.

When it’s done, move the pork and apples to a platter and tent them with foil. Skim the excess fat off the braising liquid, then slice or shred the pork and spoon the sauce, onions, and apples over the top.