Braised Pork Shoulder with Apples and Sauerkraut

This juicy, easy preparation of our hearty pork shoulder is tangy from the sauerkraut and sweet from the apples. Cook it in a dutch oven or in a slow cooker for a fall-apart meal.

 1 Pork shoulder, excess fat trimmed
 2 cups sauerkraut (appx 1 lb, or half a quart jar)
 3 tbsp oil or butter
 salt and pepper (to season pork)
 1.50 tsp ground cardamom
 1 white onion, thinly sliced
 2 apples, peeled, cored and cut into slices
 1 bottle or can of beer-- ideally an IPA or wheat beer

1

Set your oven to 325. Cut off any extra white ribbons of fat on the pork and discard. Sprinkle salt, pepper and the ground cardamom onto both sides of the roast and rub in well. Allow to rest at room temperature for 15-20 minutes. While you let it rest, prepare the rest of your ingredients: slice the onions, drain the 'kraut, peel and cut the apples.

2

Heat up the butter or oil in a deep dutch oven (6 qt or so), and brown both sides of the pork shoulder, about 6-8 min per side, until a crisp crust develops. Set aside on a plate.

3

Pour in the onions and cook in the drippings, stirring frequently. If the pan gets too dry, add in a splash of the beer to scrape up all the little brown bits with the edge of a wooden spatula. After the onions start to get translucent, add in the apple slices. Cook for 1-2 more minutes and turn off the heat.

4

If you're using your oven: push the apples and onions off to the sides and add in the sauerkraut. Settle the pork on top and dig it in a little, so it's nestled in all the fruit and veg. Pour the contents of your beer around the sides of the pork so it comes up about 1/2 way up the sides but doesn't submerge it in liquid. Cover with the lid, and put into the oven for 3-4 hours. The meat is done when it shreds easily and falls apart from the bones.

5

If you're using a slow-cooker: follow the directions above. At the final stage, transfer everything to your slow cooker and pour in the beer, and cook on low for 8 hours or on high for 4-5 hours.

Ingredients

 1 Pork shoulder, excess fat trimmed
 2 cups sauerkraut (appx 1 lb, or half a quart jar)
 3 tbsp oil or butter
 salt and pepper (to season pork)
 1.50 tsp ground cardamom
 1 white onion, thinly sliced
 2 apples, peeled, cored and cut into slices
 1 bottle or can of beer-- ideally an IPA or wheat beer

Directions

1

Set your oven to 325. Cut off any extra white ribbons of fat on the pork and discard. Sprinkle salt, pepper and the ground cardamom onto both sides of the roast and rub in well. Allow to rest at room temperature for 15-20 minutes. While you let it rest, prepare the rest of your ingredients: slice the onions, drain the 'kraut, peel and cut the apples.

2

Heat up the butter or oil in a deep dutch oven (6 qt or so), and brown both sides of the pork shoulder, about 6-8 min per side, until a crisp crust develops. Set aside on a plate.

3

Pour in the onions and cook in the drippings, stirring frequently. If the pan gets too dry, add in a splash of the beer to scrape up all the little brown bits with the edge of a wooden spatula. After the onions start to get translucent, add in the apple slices. Cook for 1-2 more minutes and turn off the heat.

4

If you're using your oven: push the apples and onions off to the sides and add in the sauerkraut. Settle the pork on top and dig it in a little, so it's nestled in all the fruit and veg. Pour the contents of your beer around the sides of the pork so it comes up about 1/2 way up the sides but doesn't submerge it in liquid. Cover with the lid, and put into the oven for 3-4 hours. The meat is done when it shreds easily and falls apart from the bones.

5

If you're using a slow-cooker: follow the directions above. At the final stage, transfer everything to your slow cooker and pour in the beer, and cook on low for 8 hours or on high for 4-5 hours.

Braised Pork Shoulder with Apples and Sauerkraut

2 Comments

  1. Melissa Daley on January 6, 2019 at 9:29 pm

    I didn’t have cardamom, so I substituted clove and cinnamon. Also, I used Great Lakes Christmas Ale instead of an IPA. (It’s all I had). It was delicious!

  2. Marilyn on January 8, 2019 at 12:56 pm

    This is the most delicious sauerkraut/pork dish ever! The fun part of it . . all my ingredients were from Wholesome Valley Market except the German Beer that I used.

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