Name: Slow-Cooker Cider-Braised Pork Roast
Total time: 7 h
Ingredients: 1 (4- to 5-pound) boneless pork butt roast , trimmed and halved; Salt and pepper; 1 tablespoon vegetable oil; 1 onion , chopped; 1/4 cup all-purpose flour; 4 garlic cloves , minced; 3 sprigs fresh thyme; 1/2 cup apple cider; 1/2 cup apple butter; 2 bay leaves; 1 tablespoon cider vinegar

Why This Recipe Works

We set out to create a slow-cooker recipe for a pork roast that would slowly braise in a cider-based sauce and result in a tender roast infused with sweet-tart cider flavor. We started with pork butt—our favorite for low, slow cooking. Searing the meat built a flavorful and appealing deep golden crust and created valuable fond in the skillet. A small amount of flour thickened the sauce while apple cider and apple butter provided the sweet apple flavor we wanted to complement our roast. A touch of cider vinegar added punch, creating the perfect cider sauce to accompany our pork.

Before You Begin

Pork butt roast is often labeled Boston butt in the supermarket.

Instructions

1. Pat pork dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper. Tie 3 pieces of kitchen twine around each piece of pork to create 2 evenly shaped roasts. Heat oil in 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking. Brown roasts on all sides, 7 to 10 minutes; transfer to plate.

Add onion and ½ teaspoon salt to fat left in skillet and cook over medium heat until onion is softened and lightly browned, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in flour, garlic, and thyme sprigs and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Slowly whisk in apple cider, scraping up any browned bits and smoothing out any lumps; transfer to slow cooker.

Stir apple butter and bay leaves into slow cooker. Nestle roasts into slow cooker, adding any accumulated juices. Cover and cook until pork is tender and fork slips easily in and out of meat, 9 to 10 hours on low or 6 to 7 hours on high.

Transfer roasts to carving board, tent loosely with aluminum foil, and let rest for 20 minutes.

Strain sauce into fat separator and let sit for 5 minutes; discard solids. Combine defatted sauce and vinegar in bowl and season with salt and pepper to taste. Remove twine from roasts, slice meat against grain into ½-inch-thick slices, and arrange on serving dish. Spoon 1 cup sauce over meat and serve, passing remaining sauce separately.