This recipe is officially a family favorite. It is a one-pot wonder and so easy. You can make it at least two days in advance and it is still perfect. You can make it in a slow cooker but I really prefer a dutch oven or a large, heavy sauce pot with a lid. Try to get the pork from a local small farm if you can. In Chicago, I love Gunthorp Farms.

Try to get the best pork shoulder you can.

Whole 30 Cider Braised Pork Shoulder

Serves 6

1 3-4 pound piece of boneless picnic pork shoulder

Salt and Pepper

1 teaspoon olive oil

3 medium apples peeled, cored and sliced into wedges

1 medium onion, thinly sliced

3 cups unsweetened apple juice

1 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 225 F degrees Liberally coat the pork with salt and pepper. Heat a dutch oven or a large heavy pot with a lid on high. Add olive oil and sear meat on all sides until brown. About 5 minutes. Remove meat and add apples and onions. Cook until apples and onions are slightly brown. Add pork back into pot along with liquid and salt. Cover and place in the oven for 4 hours.

The meat should just pull apart and be “fork tender”. Serve with the apple and onion sauce.

If you want to slice it perfectly, cool the pork down to room temperature and then slice. Place slices back in apple and onion sauce in the original pot and heat back up on the stove. Enjoy!

For the slow cooker: Put the pork in a slow cooker along with the apples, onions, juice and salt. Cook on low for 10-12 hours. Enjoy!