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The Flavor Bender Recipes Courses Main Meals Roasts & BBQ Slow Braised Pork Roast with Spiced Pear and Apple Sauce

Slow Braised Pork Roast with Spiced Pear and Apple Sauce

4 hrs 10 mins
Roasts & BBQ
Jump to Recipe Print Recipe
1.9K shares

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Author: Dini K.
Posted: 10/3/2016
Updated: 8/12/2018

Slow braised at a low temperature and then roasted with apples and pear cider with plenty of herbs and spices – this Slow Braised Pork Roast with Spiced Pear and Apple Sauce is a moist, tender and an incredibly flavorful dinner, with less than 30 minutes of prep time!

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Slow Braised Pork Roast with Spiced Pear and Apple Sauce - a moist, tender and an incredibly flavorful dinner, with less than 30 minutes of prep time!

Slow Braised Pork Roast with Spiced Pear and Apple Sauce - a moist, tender and an incredibly flavorful dinner, with less than 30 minutes of prep time!

I’m a big fan of Smithfield All Natural Fresh Pork. I’ve used their products many times before – some of which also made it to the blog, like this five spice peach and pork skillet, habanero and peach bbq pork ribs, delicious tequila braised pork carnitas (seriously yum!) and our favorite Sri Lankan pork curry!

While I love using pork chops and pork belly cuts, I also always have great fun making flavorful pork roast for dinner and one of my favorite cuts for a pork roast is Smithfield All Natural Fresh Pork Shoulder Picnic Cut.  Knowing that it’s almost guaranteed to be a meal that Mr K would love, it’s also a very safe bet for me! With his birthday and the holidays just around the corner, I made one of his favorites earlier this week – Spiced Slow Braised Pork Shoulder Roast with Spiced Pear and Apple Sauce! Pork and apple sauce – that’s a classic combination, for a reason. This meal is all about that bass flavor!

Slow Braised Pork Roast with Spiced Pear and Apple Sauce - a moist, tender and an incredibly flavorful dinner, with less than 30 minutes of prep time!

This slow braised pork is braised at a low temperature and roasted with apples and pear cider with plenty of herbs and spices. This makes the pork incredibly flavorful and melt-in-your-mouth tender. There’s only 30 minutes of active time and then your oven does the rest of the work. You can serve it with a simple side salad, or a plate of steamed or roasted vegetables (which can be roasted in the oven at the same time as the pork!).

If you like your pork medium rare, you should cook it to an internal temperature of 145 degrees F (followed by a three-minute rest). If you like your pork a little more done, cook to an internal temperature of 160 degrees F.

Slow Braised Pork Roast with Spiced Pear and Apple Sauce - a moist, tender and an incredibly flavorful dinner, with less than 30 minutes of prep time!

For this recipe however, it’s important to cook the pork until it reaches 170°F. Maintaining the pork at this temp. (with surrounding moisture) helps break down the fat and connective tissue, making the meat deliciously moist and “fall off the bone” tender.

The pear cider, apples and milk in the braising liquid help the pork shoulder cut reach that perfect level of moistness, while the final roasting period caramelizes the meat from the outside while keeping it sliceable (and not mushy). The braising liquid also forms a beautiful gravy that complements the pork and any side that you may want to serve it with. It’s delicious over mashed potatoes and/or roasted vegetables.

Slow Braised Pork Roast with Spiced Pear and Apple Sauce - a moist, tender and an incredibly flavorful dinner, with less than 30 minutes of prep time!

This slow braised pork roast is everything we love! 🙂 A little spicy, a little sweet, a little fruity. Plus, there were plenty of leftovers the next day, we made the best pork fried rice for lunch too!

If you can’t find pear cider, simply use apple cider or pear juice instead. I love the flavor of both fruits coming through in the gravy. If you use Pink Lady or Gala apples, they will add to the sweetness. If you use Granny Smith apples on the other hand, they will add a touch of sourness to the gravy.

I would definitely recommend investing in a meat thermometer, if you don’t already have one. It makes things a whole lot easier. It’s honestly the best kitchen gadget that I’ve got and I use it daily. It makes cooking roasts and steaks so much easier. It takes about 2 hours and 40 minutes for a 2.5 lb pork shoulder to reach an internal temp. of 180°F, but the exact time can vary with different ovens and different cuts of meat because of the thickness and amount of fat etc. The meat thermometer takes the guesswork out of it. Just leave it in the oven to roast and set the timer for the required internal temperature.

Slow Braised Pork Roast with Spiced Pear and Apple Sauce - a moist, tender and an incredibly flavorful dinner, with less than 30 minutes of prep time!

Having said that, this is also a very forgiving recipe too. I braise this cut for about an extra 45 minutes to let the fat melt away and make the pork beautifully moist. It’s a special occasion dinner for us, but without any of the work involved. PLUS, there’s only 1 dish involved (2 if you make roasted veggies as a side), so there’s very little clean-up afterwards too. You guys have no idea how much that means to me! 🙂 It’s an unbelievably flavorful dinner, for just 30 minutes of prep time. In the words of Michael Scott – that’s a win-win-win for all of us.

Slow Braised Pork Roast with Spiced Pear and Apple Sauce - a moist, tender and an incredibly flavorful dinner, with less than 30 minutes of prep time!

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5 from 2 votes

Slow Braised Pork Roast with Spiced Pear and Apple Sauce

Author: Dini K.
Yield: 1 pork roast that will serve 6 people (or 4 generously)
Cuisine: American, North American
This Slow Braised Pork Roast with Spiced Pear and Apple Sauce is moist, tender and incredibly flavorful. Slow braised at a low temperature and roasted with apples and pear cider, and plenty of herbs and spices. Less than 30 minutes of prep time.
EASY - This is a very easy recipe, with little prep time! The oven does all the work and you end up with a very flavorful dish!
US based cup, teaspoon, tablespoon measurements. Common Measurement Conversions. Weight measurements are recommended for accurate results.
Prep: 35 minutes minutes
Cook: 3 hours hours 35 minutes minutes
Total Time: 4 hours hours 10 minutes minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Print Rate

Ingredients:

  • 1.3 - 1.5 kg pork shoulder / pork butt roast boneless (3 - 3.3 lb)
  • 1 cup pear cider substitute with apple cider if you can't find pear cider
  • ¼ cup heavy cream 35% (you can also use half and half)
  • 1 ½ tbsp horseradish paste
  • 3 - 4 sprigs of rosemary
  • ½ tsp cayenne pepper
  • 4 cloves of garlic
  • 2 apples quartered (honey crisp or gala)
  • Salt and pepper
  • 3 - 4 tbsp brown sugar
  • 4 tbsp butter

Gravy

  • 3 tbsp butter
  • 3 tbsp AP flour

Instructions:

  • Preheat the oven to 325°F / 160°C.
  • Pat dry the pork and place it in an oven-proof dish (one where the pork fits snugly). Sprinkle salt and pepper over the pork and then add the horseradish and cayenne pepper and rub it all over. You can also use a dutch oven for this.
    1.3 - 1.5 kg pork shoulder / pork butt roast, 1 ½ tbsp horseradish paste, Salt and pepper, ½ tsp cayenne pepper
  • Add the butter, apples, pear cider, cream, rosemary and garlic to the dish.
    1 cup pear cider, ¼ cup heavy cream, 3 - 4 sprigs of rosemary, 2 apples, 4 tbsp butter, 4 cloves of garlic
  • Rub the brown sugar on top of the pork.
    3 - 4 tbsp brown sugar
  • Cover with foil and transfer to the oven. You can insert a meat thermometer to monitor the temperature too.
  • Braise for 3 hours in the preheated oven.
  • Increase the oven temperature to 425°F and remove the foil / cover. Let the surface of the pork caramelize (about 30 - 40 minutes).
  • Remove from the oven. Carefully place the pork on a serving dish and cover with foil.
  • Mash the apples and garlic into the juices in the roasting dish (or alternatively, blend the apples with the juices in the roasting dish).
  • In a saucepan, melt 3 tbsp butter. Add 3 tbsp of flour and cook the butter and flour for a few minutes to form a roux. Strain the apple/pear mix into the saucepan and whisk until the gravy thickens. Discard the pulp.
    3 tbsp butter, 3 tbsp AP flour
  • Season with salt and pepper to taste.
    Salt and pepper
  • Serve the slow braied pork with a side salad or roasted vegetables or mashed potatoes.

Side Dishes

  • Easiest option - a simple side salad with your favorite vinaigrette.
  • Or steamed vegetables or mashed potatoes.
  • Or roasted vegetables (optional) - cut some carrots and potatoes (into 1.5 inch cubes) and toss them with some salt, pepper and olive oil. Place the vegetables on a foil or parchment paper-lined tray. Roast in the oven for 1 hour at 425°F (while you're roasting the pork - the vegetables will be ready by the time the gravy is prepared).

Nutrition Information:

Calories: 560kcal (28%)Carbohydrates: 23g (8%)Protein: 58g (116%)Fat: 26g (40%)Saturated Fat: 13g (81%)Polyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 8gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 196mg (65%)Sodium: 263mg (11%)Potassium: 1096mg (31%)Fiber: 2g (8%)Sugar: 17g (19%)Vitamin A: 657IU (13%)Vitamin C: 5mg (6%)Calcium: 46mg (5%)Iron: 3mg (17%)

“This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.”

Course:Dinner, Main Course, Roast
Cuisine:American, North American
Keyword:Apple recipes, Dinners, Pork Recipes, Roasts, Slow Roast Recipes
Did you make this?Tag me on Instagram!I love seeing what you’ve made! Tag me on Instagram at @TheFlavorBender or leave me a comment & rating below.

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  1. Michelle says

    October 2, 2018 at 03:33

    I live in Portugal and have not found any horseradish. Do you know of any good substitutes for it in this recipe?

    Reply
    • Dini says

      October 5, 2018 at 11:33

      Hi Michelle
      Usually Wasabi is a good substitute, but it won’t be suitable for this recipe. I would recommend using about 2 tbsp of grated ginger instead for this recipe. The taste will be slightly different, but ginger goes very well with pears and apple. Hope that helps!

      Reply
  2. Michelle says

    October 9, 2016 at 08:40

    Looks amazing Dini!
    I love forgiving recipes
    The horseradish sounds like the perfect compliment!
    Have a great day!
    Michelle

    Reply
  3. Bam's Kitchen says

    October 8, 2016 at 23:55

    5 stars
    Dini, I had to compose myself and tell myself it would be unlady like to lick the computer screen. This is one tasty meal and perfect for a Sunday supper! Sharing!

    Reply
  4. Julianna says

    October 8, 2016 at 10:57

    Wow, this is so perfect for the season! Another gorgeous recipe! 😀

    Reply
  5. Kitty says

    October 8, 2016 at 10:51

    Oh my this looks so good! I’ve been slow to get into the fall spirit, but this is inspiring me. Thanks!

    Reply
  6. Monika Dabrowski says

    October 8, 2016 at 09:49

    5 stars
    This is a glorious dish! I am usually not crazy about pork in general and usually add a lot of spices and herbs to it, so this recipe for me is the perfect way to cook pork. Stunning photography too:)

    Reply
  7. David says

    October 4, 2016 at 10:18

    Oh wow, I could definitely get on board with this for dinner tonight! I love how easy it is to make…and then just let the oven do the work. 🙂 I must admit that I’m not familiar with pear cider, but I’m totally going to look for it now. And I’m sure this would work with apple cider, too. Perfect Fall dinner…thanks for sharing! #client

    Reply

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Hi! I’m Dini, a third culture kid by upbringing and a food-geek by nature. I was born in Sri Lanka, grew up in New Zealand and lived in Australia, and then the US, before moving to Canada in 2019! My food is a reflection of those amazing experiences!

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