Slow-Roasted Pork Shoulder with Melted Apples
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We pulled this recipe recently from the Wall St. Journal and finally made it the other night. It was absolutely melt-in-your-mouth delicious. I've never tasted pork so tender. The "Melted Apples" part is the gravy, which is prepared in part by pushing apples that you've roasted with the pork through a sieve. Pictured in the photo is the pork served with baked apple slices.
Slow-Roasted Pork Shoulder with Melted Apples Recipe
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Ingredients
Marinate: Overnight
Active preparation time: 1 hour
Cooking time: 2½ to 3 hours
4-5 pounds boneless pork shoulder
1 tablespoon fennel seed, toasted and finely ground
2 teaspoons black peppercorns, cracked
2 tablespoons packed, fresh thyme leaves, lightly chopped
2 tablespoons fresh rosemary leaves, lightly chopped
4 medium garlic cloves, passed through a press
2 tablespoons salt, plus more for seasoning
4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
4 medium all-purpose apples
1 medium yellow onion
Freshly ground black pepper
1 cup dry white wine
Trim sinew and all but ¼-inch of fat from pork shoulder. Put the pork on a sheet pan.
Method
1 In a small bowl mix together the ground fennel seed, cracked peppercorns, thyme and rosemary leaves, pressed garlic, 2 tablespoons salt and 2 tablespoons olive oil. Stir until the mixture is uniform.
2 Rub the mixture evenly over the pork shoulder inside and out. Wrap the pork shoulder tightly in plastic wrap to hold the marinade against the skin and marinate overnight (or up to two days).
3 Peel, halve and core the apples. (A melon baller is a great tool to remove the seeds effortlessly.) Cut each half into 4 equal wedges. Place the wedges in a medium bowl.
4 Peel and trim the onion. Cut in half and cut each half into 12 thin wedges. Mix with the apples.
5 Preheat the oven to 450°.
6 Toss the apples and onions with the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Place in the bottom of a roasting pan or Dutch oven with a cover and put the marinated pork shoulder on top. (You may also use a regular roasting pan with aluminum foil to cover.)
7 Roast uncovered for 30 minutes. Turn the oven heat down to 325° and add the wine. Cover the roasting pan and slow roast for 2½ to 3 hours [on a 5-lb. roast, the outside of the roast was very tender but the inside could have cooked longer to get it to falling apart texture] until the pork shoulder is very tender and pulls apart easily when probed with a fork.
8 Transfer the pork shoulder to a serving plate. If the pan juices are very thick, add enough water to loosen, then mash and strain. If more liquid is desired, add a little water. The apples will be so soft that they will break down.
Check the seasoning and correct to taste. Strain the sauce through a coarse strainer to refine the texture if desired.
Serves 4-6 with leftovers.
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One of my favourite combinations, pork and apples and this recipe looks just easy enough. I'll give it a try.