Meat-based recipe
Pork shoulder, allotment apples and thyme make a gently sweet, savoury casserole. The apples go in towards the end so they soften into the sauce without completely disappearing.
Ingredients
- 650g, cut into 3cm cubes Boneless pork shoulder
- 2 medium, peeled, cored and cut into wedges Firm cooking apples
- 1, sliced Onion
- 1 large, sliced thickly Carrot
- 200ml Dry cider
- 300ml, hot Chicken stock
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- 2 sprigs Fresh thyme
- 1 tbsp Oil
- to taste Salt and black pepper
Equipment
Heavy lidded casserole · Food thermometer (recommended) · Sharp knife
Method
- Heat the oven to 170°C (150°C fan). Pat pork dry and season. Heat oil in a flameproof casserole and brown the pork in batches on several sides. Set aside.
- Cook the onion and carrot in the casserole for 5 minutes until beginning to soften. Stir in mustard, then pour in cider and stock, scraping up the browned bits. Return pork and add thyme.
- Bring to a gentle simmer, cover and cook in the oven for 70 minutes. Check that the liquid is barely bubbling; lower the oven slightly if it boils hard.
- Stir in the apple wedges, cover and cook for another 25–30 minutes until the pork is tender and the apples have softened but still mostly hold their shape. Check a large piece of pork reaches 75°C for 30 seconds; if not, cook longer and recheck.
- Taste the sauce and adjust seasoning. Remove woody thyme stems and serve hot with the cooking juices.
Allotment tip
Choose firm apples that hold their shape and add them late. Cider sweetness varies, so taste the sauce before adding extra seasoning.
Serving suggestions
Serve with mashed potatoes, cabbage or roasted parsnips. Spoon the apple and cider juices over the pork.
Seasonal allotment note
Use firm late-season apples from the plot, including cookers or tart dessert apples. Stored apples should be sound and free of soft or mouldy patches.
Ingredient swaps
Replace cider with 200ml apple juice plus 1 tbsp cider vinegar for a non-alcoholic version. Use a little extra stock if needed. Pork shoulder is preferable to lean loin for a long braise.
Allergens: Mustard Check cider and stock labels for declared allergens or sulphites
Storing leftovers
Cool promptly and refrigerate within 2 hours; eat within 48 hours or freeze. Defrost in the fridge and reheat once until steaming hot throughout. Apples will soften further after freezing.