apple cider-braised pork shoulder

Like most people, the recession is having an impact on the food I eat. But instead of giving up on the "slow movement" entirely, I'm really trying to learn to cook cheaper cuts of meat in creative ways. Some of these experiments have been failures - I don't have the heart to post the cranberry mushroom brisket that seemed so promising but was tough and boring - but this pork shoulder was a decisive win. I think most of the time people use shoulder for pork barbeque, but I didn't have the time to babysit the grill for 4 hours. This recipe (from Epicurious) was great, since you only have about 10 minutes of prep time, then the roast cooks slowly in the oven. The meat was really tender, and until I make the mistake of looking up nutrition facts for pork shoulder, this is going in the rotation.

Grocery list: 3-4 pound pork shoulder, 2 garlic cloves, 3/4 cup apple cider, 5 large onions, olive oil.



Thinly slice the garlic, then cut slits into the pork shoulder. Insert the pieces of garlic in the slits. Season all over with salt and pepper.



Heat 1 T olive oil in a large dutch oven, then brown the pork for about 1 minute per side. Remove the pork shoulder to a plate.



Heat another T olive oil in the pan, then saute the onions (sliced lengthwise) for 10 minutes, or until they start to caramelize. Stir in the apple cider.



Place the pork back in the pan, cover tightly with foil (or the dutch oven lid, if you have the oven-safe handle), and roast for 325 degrees. The recipe calls for 2.5-3 hours, but use a meat thermometer to be safe.



Remove the roast, and if the onion mixture is still more liquid-y than syrup-y, heat over medium-high flame until reduced. Shred the pork and serve with the sauce. I also made sweet potato fries and garlic chard - they tasted great but the pork's sauce can make the fries soggy. Fair warning...