Let’s talk about a delicious flavourful meal that everyone would love – a Pork Roast with Apples.
This is one of my favourite choices when I cook a dinner for Christmas, Easter, guests or even just a simple family Sunday dinner. I know it may look intimidating, but trust me that it’s super simple to make, tastes amazing, and makes your house smell absolutely delicious.
The slow cooked pork comes out juicy and tender, and the apples get caramelized, soft and sweet. The whole combination works so magically well together. To make the pork roast, I usually use pork shoulder blade, because it’s perfect for slow roasting. It has a little fat on it that melts down and makes everything super flavorful.
The best part is that once it’s in the oven, you can forget about it for a little while. It basically cooks itself while you hang out, prep your sides, or just sip some coffee (or wine). Isn’t that wonderful?
Pork and Apples Combination
The pork and apples were made to be together. The pork is savory, flavourful, and the apples add just the right amount of sweetness to balance it all out. When you throw in some carrots, onion, garlic, and rosemary, you get the best and most delicious aroma in your kitchen that is so hard to resist and forget.
What You’ll Need
Pork shoulder blade – This meat cut has just the right amount of fat to be amazingly flavourful and super tender as it gets roasted. Try to buy it a day or two ahead, instead get it frozen. If you need to use frozen meat, make sure you pull it out the day before, to slowly defrost overnight.
Carrots – Few carrots will add nice sweetness to the dish. Nothing tastes as tempting as caramelized carrots in the meat juices.
Apples – You can choose whatever type of apples you have around. Any kind works, sweet or tart. Today I opted in for Ambrosia apples, as that is what I had at home.
Onion – For warm, sweet caramelized flavour that combines so beautifully into the pork.
Garlic – I think roasting meat without garlic is forbidden. You’ll miss a big deal out. You can simply toss the entire garlic in, or break in cloves, but keep the peel on because it gives a very special touch.
Mix of spices – To spice the meat wonderfully, a spice mix is needed. What I usually use is a combination of smoked paprika, cumin, salt, black pepper and maple syrup (or honey/brown sugar).
Adding sweetness is incredibly important to get a nice delicious crust and balance the tanginess of the remaining spices.
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Worcestershire sauce – My rule of thumb is that every time I roast meat, especially pork, I must add a splash of Worcestershire sauce. It adds flavourful smokiness and takes it all one level up.
Red wine vinegar (or splash of black wine) – this will spice it all up to perfection and give the meat what it truly needs to taste incredibly.
Broth (or water) – Meat needs some liquid so it can slow cook perfectly and get tender and flavourful at the end.
Rosemary – Another must is adding rosemary when pork is roasted. What rosemary can do to roasted pork – nothing can do (ok maybe thyme gets close). So please make sure you add rosemary or any other fresh herb you can find, such as thyme or sage. It makes a huge difference, indeed.
Pork Roast With Apples
Course: MainDifficulty: Medium8
servings20
minutes3
hours20
minutes360
kcal3
hours40
minutesJuicy pork roast with apples, perfect for Easter, Christmas, or just a weekend dinner with friends, family, or guests.
Ingredients
3 pounds pork shoulder blade
1 onion, cut into wedges
2-3 carrots, cut into big chunks
1-2 apples, peeled and sliced
1 whole head of garlic, broken up and unpeeled
1 tablespoon smoked paprika
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon brown sugar or maple syrup
1 teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional) - for extra heat
Salt and pepper, to taste
Fresh rosemary (few springs)
1 cup vegetable broth
Light olive oil
Optional - 2–3 potatoes, peeled and cut into wedges
How to Make the Pork Roast
- Preheat your oven to 400°F. In the meantime, rub the pork (both sides) with the spice mix of smoked paprika, cumin, brown sugar, salt, and pepper.
- Chop the onion and apples into wedges, and carrots in 1 inch pieces. Break the garlic cloves, but leave them unpeeled (very important).
- Drizzle olive oil into a 6-7 quart Dutch oven. Set the heat to medium and sear the pork on all sides, turning every 5 minutes for even cooking. The meat will become nice and golden, that is the nice crust you are looking for.
- Once completely seared, remove the pork and set it aside.
- Add the vegetables and apples to the Dutch oven, letting them cook in the leftover meat juices for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. This adds amazing flavour and makes everything taste so much better.
- Place the pork back on top of the veggies. Pour in the Worcestershire sauce, red vinegar, and broth, then toss the fresh rosemary.
- Cover the pot with the lid and transfer it to the oven. Roast for 30 minutes at 400°F, then reduce the temperature to 350°F. Cook covered for approximately two more hours, checking every 30 minutes to make sure there is enough liquid to cook the meat (add more broth if needed, but don’t go over ⅓ of the Dutch oven as it will be too much).
- After about two hours, remove the lid and roast the meat for another hour, uncovered. Although this is optional, you can add 2-3 large potatoes, peeled, cut into wedges. Just tuck them between the meat and veggies to absorb the beautiful juices.
- After the hour, remove the pork and set it on a cooling rack. If you opt in for some potatoes, let them finish roasting, if needed. The meat should be fork-tender and juicy.
- Let it rest for 30 minutes, covered loosely with foil, so it stays warm and juicy.
Notes
- Don’t forget the juicy sauce left in the Dutch oven. Reserve about 1-2 cups, as this sauce is perfect for making a delicious gravy.
- No apples? Try pears. They taste equally delicious.
- Want to prep ahead? You totally can. It’s even better the next day.
How to Serve
You can serve the pork on a large platter as a whole piece or cut it into big, juicy slices. If you make the roasted potatoes, arrange them beside the meat, they will look stunning. Sprinkle it with coarse salt, and you’re all set.
If you didn’t add potatoes inside the pot, you can make separately all-dressed potato wedges – they pair perfectly with the roast and with a salad of your choice, that menu will do wonders.
How to Store Leftovers
Simply keep the leftovers in the fridge for up to three days. You can reheat them the next day and serve along with your favourite salad, rice or layered in a sandwich. You will get a perfect lunch, or life-saver dinner the next day. If you reserved some of the sauce, you can even add some extra juice in and make pulled pork for sloppy joes the next day. Add a scoop of the pulled pork in a bun, with a layer of pickles and some of your favorite condiments, and you are good to go.
Alternatively, you can freeze leftovers for up to a month. When I am in time crunch, pork is a huge lifesaver for a quick dinner or lunch.
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Hi, I’m Biba, the creator of Chick in Apron!
As a busy mom and food blogger, I am passionate about making cooking fun and stress-free. I share simple, delicious recipes that are quick and easy to prepare, along with helpful kitchen hacks to save you time.
So, let’s turn cooking into something you enjoy with tasty meals and handy tips to make kitchen tasks a breeze! ✨
