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My neighbors sounded at my door only to enquire what smelled so good. 4 ingredients to a juicy roast that can fall in your fork.
Through this slow cooker 4 ingredient apple cider pork roast, your entire house is going to smell like autumn in the best of ways. The first time I prepared it, my neighbor had actually knocked on the door to inquire about what was cooking in my slow cooker because of the smell of the apples, warm spices, and roasting pork leaking out into the sidewalk.
It is a set it and forget it dinner: pork, apple cider, apples and a small amount of brown sugar. The roast is bathed in the cider slowly all day and it becomes so tender that it falls apart to the fork and acquires a glossy sticky glaze when you are done with it on a sheet pan. It works well on busy weeknights, Sunday dinners or any other time you need something warm and not so complicated with many ingredients and effort.
Slow Cooker Pork Apple Cider Roast.
Servings: 6
Ingredients
- pork shoulder or pork butt roast
- Quantity: 3-4 lb
- boneless
- with excess hard fat removed.
- apple cider
- Quantity: 2 cups
- (without cider vinegar)
- peeled, cored, and thickly sliced apples.
- Quantity: 3 large
- full or packed light or dark brown sugar.
- Quantity: 1/3 cup
Directions
Preparation
- Prepare a baking sheet with some aluminum foil and put it aside. This will be used to glaze and serve the roast after its removal out of the slow cooker.
- Spread the apples, which have been sliced, evenly over the bottom of a 5- to 7-quart slowness cooker. This forms a pork soft and fruity bed and assists in flavouring the juices.
- Put the pork roast, fat side up (assuming it has a fat cap that is visible) into the apples of the slow cooker. Dry it off using the paper towels so that it can later brown and glaze.
- Add the apple cider and brown sugar to a measuring cup or a bowl and mix them until the sugar is dissolved in the liquid mostly. Spray all around and over the pork roast in the slow cooker.
Cooking
- Bake on LOW or HIGH 8-10 hours or 4-5 hours respectively until the pork is very tender and will pull apart easily with a fork. Each slow cooker is slightly different and therefore begin to check closer to the earlier end of the time range.
- At the moment when the pork is fork tender, two large spatulas or heavy tongs are employed to lift the entire roast out of the slow cooker, and place it on the foil-lined baking stray. Attempt to hold it together but when it begins cracking or falling, it is a good indication that it has been cooked.
- With the help of a slotted spoon, take all the soft slices of the stewed apples that are already in the slow cooker, and place them around the pork on the baking sheet. Pour a small amount of the thick amber cooking liquid over the top of the roast in order to coat it a bit.
- Turn your oven broiler to high and place your rack in such a way that your pork will be a few inches below the heating element. As it heats, allow the roast to rest 5 10 minutes to allow the juices to settle.
- Place the baking sheet under the broiler, and broil 3 to 5 minutes, observing closely, until the top of the pork becomes golden brown, and forms a shiny sticky glaze of the remaining cider and brown sugar. Rotate pan once or twice, when necessary, to form even-colored, but do not burn.
- Take the baking sheet out of the oven and allow the pork to rest (5 more minutes). Pour additional warm pan juices in the slow cooker to the top of the roast and apples to glaze and moisturize them.
Serving
- To serve, with two forks, cut or tug the pork into large and tender pieces or slices directly on the baking sheet. Half the stewed apples and a lot of the amber cider juices spooned on top of that.
Variations & Tips
Flavor Adjustments
- To add a little savory flavor to it, but not to add any additional ingredients, use one tart apple (such as Granny Smith) and two sweeter ones so as to have a good balance.
- In case you do not want such a sweet roast, you can cut the brown sugar to 1/4 cup, and a sharper cider.
Thicker Glaze
- Want a thicker glaze? Pour the slow cooker juices into a small saucepan and simmer over on the stove 10 to 15 minutes until syrupy, then brush it over the pork and then broil.
Alternative Cut
- You may also work with a bone-in pork shoulder which is the same weight; you only have to calculate on the longer end of the cook time.
Meal Prep
- To prepare meals, roast it on a Sunday, and when broiled, shred or cut it into chunks and set it with the apples and juices in the fridge up to 4 days- reheat in the stovetop with a splash of additional cider or water.
- Sliders are made of leftovers, and it is a quick breakfast, or grain bowls on rice or quinoa.
