Braised Pork with Apple & Onion Gravy

First time ever combining apples with pork. It's pretty good. It's weird that I've never tried this before, but it was pretty good. I think I prefer the roast pork from Hong Kong style BBQ places though.

This made a lot of gravy (could've used more flour to make it thicker, but meh), which I then stored in the freezer for future pork chop uses. I wouldn't call this a traditional gravy though. More like a sauce? Oh the identity crisis...


Braised Pork with Apple & Onion Gravy
(serves 6-8)

Ingredients:

• 5 lb pork shoulder, cut in half
• 2 large onions, sliced
• 3 medium (or 2 large) apples, cored and sliced into wedges
• 4 cups apple juice
• 1 cup beef broth
• 2 bay leaves
• Salt & pepper, to taste
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup water
• 2 Tbsps canola oil (or bacon grease)

Directions:

1. Heat up the bacon grease or canola oil in a large Dutch oven or pot on medium high heat. Rub a generous amount of salt and pepper onto the pork shoulders. Carefully place one into the Dutch oven and sear all sides. Transfer to a plate and repeat with the other one.
2. Transfer the second piece onto the same plate as the first. Stir in onions and apples to the Dutch oven and sauté, scraping up the brown bits as the apples and onions start releasing its juices.
3. Return the pork shoulders back into the pot, cover with apple juice, broth and two bay leaves. Bring to a boil. Cover and lower heat to the lowest setting simmer for 2 1/2 hours.
4. After 2 1/2 hours, transfer pork shoulders onto a plate to rest. In the mean time, crank up the heat to full blast and let the sauce reduce to half. In a small bowl, mix the flour and water to make a slurry. Once the sauce has reduced to half, whisk in the flour slurry and heat thoroughly. The oniones and apples should've disentegrated by now. If not, just use the whisk or a spoon to smush it all up.
5. To serve, slice pork shoulders and pour gravy over the slabs of meat, accompanied with some wild rice.