Apple and Beer Braised Pork w/ Roasted Squash
Tender braised pork and apples that is savory and rich with a sweet tang.
Apple and Beer Braised Pork w/ Roasted Squash
Serves 4 - 6
The original inspiration for this dish came from something I made by chef John from Food Wishes years ago. You can find that recipe here. He used hard cider to emulate the classic pairing of apple and pork. Here, I’ve replaced the cider with beer and added sliced apples and complementary seasonings to allow the flavor of the pork and apple to shine through. The roasted squash adds warm spice and earthiness to the rich braise with a sweet tang from the apples. My favorite part is the apples that cook down to lend sweetness and a gentle bite. Serve over rice to soak up the braising liquid. I served it with a buchu salad with added freshness and a pop of color.
“Recipe Tips:
*1. You can also use pork shoulder however, it takes a little longer to cook so you will have to adjust the cooking times before adding the apples.
2. To cut the apples, do not peel, cut into ¼‘s and remove the core, slice each ¼ into 4 slices.
3. In place of the kabocha you can use any other squash or sweet potatoes.”
Ingredients
Braise
1 T vegetable oil
*1kg (about 2.25 lbs) pork leg, cut into 2 in pieces
500g (2 medium) onions, sliced with the grain
8 garlic cloves, minced
2 cheongyang or serrano chili, sliced
3 bay leaves
1.5 T cajun or creole seasoning
1.5 t sugar
1 t kosher salt
0.75 t ground black pepper
0.25 t thyme
3 T doenjang
2 T soy sauce
2 T mirin
1.5 T maesil
355ml (12 oz) beer can
50ml (0.25 c) water
740g (3 large) apples, unpeeled, sliced into 16 slices each and tossed with the juice of 1 lemon
Squash
1.5 t vegetable oil
1000g (2.25 lbs) kabocha squash cut into slices
2 T olive oil
1 T honey, brown sugar or maple syrup - optional
1.5 t pumpkin spice
0.75 t kosher salt
0.50 t ground black pepper
Recipe Know-how
1. Over medium-high heat, heat the vegetable oil in a large pot.
Working in batches, brown the pork well on both sides, about 2 – 3 minutes per side. Remove to a bowl and set aside.
Add the onions, garlic and chili to the pot and cook for 3 – 4 minutes or until wilted.
Add the bay leaves, seasonings and doenjang, stirring until well incorporated.
Add the soy, mirin and maesil to deglaze the pot and cook for 1 minute.
Add the beer and pork along with any accumulated juices to the pot.
Rinse out the pork bowl with the water and add to the pot.
Cover and bring to a boil.
Reduce to a simmer and cook stirring occasionally for 30 minutes.
A knife inserted into a piece of pork should have a little resistance, it should be about ¾ cooked and not fully tender.
If using pork shoulder, this step may take up to an hour or longer depending on how big you cut the pork.
If desired, you can skim and discard the fat that has risen to the top.
If the pork is ready, move on to Step 2.
2. Preheat oven to 200 C/400 F.
Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil and pour on the vegetable oil.
Put the baking sheet into the oven and preheat for 5 minutes.
Place the squash, oil and seasonings into a large mixing bowl and toss well to coat thoroughly.
Remove the pan from the oven and carefully tilt to spread the oil around.
Be incredibly careful while tilting the pan as the oil and baking sheet are very hot.
Quickly pour the squash onto the baking sheet and ensure the squash is in a single layer.
Place in the oven and roast for 20 – 25 minutes or until well browned and tender.
Continue to Step 3 while the squash cooks.
3. Add the apples to the pot and simmer covered for 30 minutes longer stirring occasionally.
After 30 minutes, uncover and increase the heat to high.
Cook swirling the pot occasionally for 5 minutes to reduce and thicken the sauce slightly.
Taste and adjust the seasoning as desired.
4. Serve over rice with buchu salad (recipe here) on the side.
