Succulent Slow-Roasted Pork Shoulder with Fresh Spiced Apple Sauce

Tender and flavoursome, this Slow-Roasted Pork Shoulder with Fresh Spiced Apple Sauce is perfect for your weekly Sunday Roast

While chicken is our usual suspect for a good roast at home, we've decided to try slow-roasting a pork shoulder for a change of pace. This slow-roasted pork shoulder is so versatile, we could serve it as a traditional roast or shred the meat to make a classic pulled-pork sandwich. The tangy spiced apple sauce adds a delightful balance to the rich flavour of the meat, making our Sunday roast much more exciting..

We slow-roasted the pork shoulder in the Le Creuset Rectangular Roaster as its lightweight body makes it easy to serve from oven to table. The non-stick surface of the roaster also eliminates the need for baking paper so you can easily gather and enjoy the juice from the roast.

Cook and Prep Time: Over 2 hours | Serves: 4-6 pax

Ingredients

• 2.5 - 3 kg pork shoulder joint, boned, tied & skin scored
• 1- 2 tablespoons salt
• Handful of fresh sage leaves

Sauce

• 400g Bramley apples
• 25g piece of root ginger
• 3 tablespoons water
• 2 tablespoon white balsamic vinegar
• 40g sugar
• Zest ½ lemon
• A pinch of dried chilli flakes, optional

Instructions for Pork Shoulder

1. Pre-heat the oven to 230°C for conventional ovens, 210°C for fan ovens, and Gas Mark 8 for gas ovens.
2. Thoroughly rub the salt into the skin and underside of the pork shoulder, lay the sage leaves on the roasting pan and place the meat on top. Cook it in the pre-heated oven for 30 minutes.
3. Reduce the heat to very low - 150°C, 130°C fan, or Gas Mark 2. Then remove it from the oven and cover the roasting pan with thick aluminium foil. Place it back in the oven and cook for 4 and a half to 5 hours until the meat is very tender.
4. Transfer the pork shoulder to a warmed serving dish to rest. Pour the cooking juices into a container, discard the fat and reserve the juices. This can easily be done with a fat separator. Crisp the crackling by removing the skin from the joint, then place it back into the empty roasting tin. Increase the oven temperature back to 230°C, 210°C fan, or Gas Mark 8 and cook for 30 minutes.

Instructions for Fresh Spiced Apple Sauce

1. Peel, core, and dice the apples, then peel and chop the ginger and place both in a saucepan with water, balsamic vinegar, sugar, lemon zest, and chilli. Place the lid and stir occasionally. Cook together until the apples have softened and broken down.
2. Pour the sauce into a serving bowl.
3. Serve a thick slice of meat with the crackling and apple sauce just like you would a traditional roast, with gravy made from the juice you've saved. Alternatively, you can shred the meat and serve in soft rolls with a drizzle of the juice, apple sauce, and crackling on the side.

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