Slow-Cooked Maple Pork, Slow-Baked Potatoes with Apples and Onions, Sweet and Savory Red Cabbage and Beets
This slow-cooked meal is long on rich flavors.
Ingredients
- For the slow-cooked maple pork brine:
- 4 cups apple cider (32 ounces)
- 1/4 cup kosher salt
- 1/3 cup brown sugar
- 3 bay leaves
- 1 teaspoon peppercorns
- A small handful of sage leaves
- A small handful of thyme sprigs
- A handful of parsley
- 1 large shallot or 1 small onion, quartered
- 3 cloves crushed garlic
-
1 orange, sliced
- 1 4- to 5-pound pork shoulder
For the glaze:
- 1/2 cup dark amber maple syrup
- 1/2 cup grainy mustard
- 2 tablespoons coarse black pepper
- 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 2 tablespoons dry mustard
For the slow-baked potatoes
- 3 pounds medium, thin-skinned potatoes
- Extra virgin olive oil (EVOO), for liberal drizzling
- Salt and pepper
- 1 bunch leeks, halved lengthwise, then cut into pieces 1 1/2-inches thick
For the red cabbage and beets:
- 1 red cabbage, shredded
- 1 red onion, thinly sliced
- 2 large beets, grated into large bowl or shredded in a food processor
- 2 Honeycrisp apples, shredded or grated
- 1 cup cloudy apple cider
- 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- Kosher salt and pepper
- A few juniper berries (optional)
- 2 large fresh bay leaves
Preparation
For the slow-cooked maple pork:
For the brine, combine the ingredients with 4 cups water in a large pot. Heat to dissolve the sugar and salt, then cool completely. Add the pork shoulder and refrigerate overnight.
Bring the pork to room temperature and pre-heat the oven to 275ºF.
Combine the glaze ingredients in a small bowl. Pat the pork dry and slather with half of the glaze. Transfer to a roasting pan and roast for 5 hours. Slather with the remaining glaze and continue cooking until tender, about 1 hour more. Let cool for 30 minutes and shred or slice as you serve.
For the slow-baked potatoes:
Pre-heat the oven to 275ºF. Slow-bake the potatoes for 3 hours.
Using the bottom of a glass, squash the potatoes to crack them open and flatten them a bit. In a skillet, heat the EVOO and add in the leeks. Cook to wilt. Combine the leeks with the potatoes in a casserole.
Raise the oven temperature to 425ºF and bake until crisp.
For the red cabbage and beets:
Place all the ingredients in a pot over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil and wilt the cabbage; cover and reduce the heat. Cook for 1 hour, stirring occasionally.
