Tender Cider Pulled Pork

Cider pulled pork with apple & sesame slaw

Cider pulled pork with apple & sesame slaw

Prep: 15 mins | Cook: 4 hrs 30 mins | Total: 4 hrs 45 mins | Serves: 4
There's something special about a warm, comforting dish like cider pulled pork with apple & sesame slaw that just can't be replicated by a restaurant or store-bought version. You know, the kind of meal that's been slow-cooked to perfection, with tender pork that just falls apart and a sweet, tangy slaw that adds a nice crunch. When you make cider pulled pork with apple & sesame slaw at home, you get to control the quality of the ingredients, like using a nice big pork shoulder, some caramelized onions, and a hint of smoked paprika. Plus, it's surprisingly easy on the wallet - a kilo of pork shoulder and some basic spices like caraway seeds and garlic granules are all you need to get started. As the pork cooks away in the cider, the aroma fills your kitchen, making your mouth water in anticipation of that first bite of cider pulled pork with apple & sesame slaw. And let's be honest, there's something so satisfying about shredding that pork with two forks and piling it high on a bun, topped with a generous helping of apple and sesame slaw, all made possible by the magic of slow-cooking with ingredients like dark brown soft sugar and fine sea salt.

Cider pulled pork with apple & sesame slaw

Ingredients

  • One kilogram of pork shoulder with the bone intact
  • Onions sliced into thick wedges, approximately two in total
  • A generous teaspoon of paprika with a smoky flavor
  • Caraway seeds totaling three teaspoons
  • Granulated garlic measuring one teaspoon
  • Dark brown sugar, soft in texture, two tablespoons
  • Fine-grained salt from the sea, two teaspoons
  • One hundred milliliters of cider with minimal sweetness
  • Ciabatta rolls, toasted to a crisp, for serving
  • Soured cream weighing eighty grams
  • A generous helping of Dijon mustard, one teaspoon
  • The juice extracted from a single lemon
  • Dill chopped into fine fragments, ten grams
  • Two Granny Smith apples, cored and cut into thin strips resembling matchsticks

Instructions

Step 1

To get started on this delicious cider pulled pork, preheat your oven to 240C (or 220C if you have a fan-assisted oven) and set it to gas mark 9. Now, take your pork shoulder and gently pat it dry with some paper towels - this helps the spice rub stick to the meat later on. Next, score the skin in a crisscross pattern, making sure to cut into the flesh just a little, which will allow all the tasty spices to penetrate deeper into the meat. Place some sliced onions at the bottom of a roasting tin that fits your pork shoulder snugly, ready for the next step.

Step 2

Now it's time to add some magic to your pork. In a small bowl, mix together paprika, black pepper, caraway seeds, garlic granules, dark brown sugar, and fine sea salt - this blend will give your pork a depth of flavor that's just amazing. You'll want to sprinkle about 2 teaspoons of this spice mix over the onions, making sure they're evenly coated, then sprinkle the rest of the mix all over your pork, rubbing it into the cuts you've made to help it penetrate the meat. Next, place your pork on top of the onions and pop it into the oven at 220C/200C fan/gas 7 for about 20 minutes, or until the skin has puffed up beautifully - you'll know it's ready when it's nicely browned. After that, pour some cider into the tin around the pork, scraping up any caramelised bits from the bottom, then cover the tin tightly with foil to keep everything moist and tender. Reduce your oven temperature to 160C/140C fan/gas 3 and let it roast for 4 to 4 and a half hours, or until the pork is fall-apart tender - you should be able to easily shred it with two forks. Once your pork is tender, remove the foil and use those two forks to shred it into bite-sized pieces. Now, turn your oven back up to 220C/200C fan/gas 7 and return the tin to the oven for just 5 minutes, which will help reduce the sauce slightly and give it a richer flavor - keep an eye on it to make sure it doesn't get too thick.

Step 3

Now it's time to bring your slaw to life. To start, grab a small bowl and whisk together the soured cream, mustard, lemon juice, and dill until you get a smooth, creamy mixture. As you're whisking, make sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl to incorporate all the ingredients evenly. Once your dressing is ready, give it a taste and season with a pinch of salt and pepper until it's just right, then stir through your sliced apples until they're nicely coated.

Step 4

Now it's time to assemble our delicious cider pulled pork sandwiches. To start, preheat your broiler to toast your ciabatta rolls - you want them to be nicely browned, so keep an eye on them for about 2-3 minutes, or until they're lightly toasted. Once your rolls are ready, spoon generous mounds of that tender pulled pork into each one, making sure to get a good balance of meat and juices. As you're filling the rolls, add a spoonful of your freshly made apple and sesame slaw on top of the pork, and serve immediately, enjoying the combination of flavors and textures in each bite.

Nutrition Information

calories: 485 calories
fat: 29 grams fat
carbohydrate: 22 grams carbohydrates
protein: 30 grams protein
fiber: 3 grams fiber
sugar: 21 grams sugar

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My Tip

When scoring the pork shoulder, make small cuts to allow the spice rub to penetrate. This helps the smoked paprika and caraway seeds infuse into the meat.

Leftovers

To keep your cider pulled pork fresh, store it in a shallow metal container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat in the oven to retain that lovely tender texture.

Make It Your Own

Swap the pork shoulder with beef brisket for a richer flavor. Use gluten-free cider for a gluten-free option.

#Alternative burgers #Ciabatta #Granny smith apples #Pork shoulder #Pulled pork #Slaw