Pork in Cider and Mustard Sauce

The pork shoulder in this comforting stew is slow-cooked until it breaks apart effortlessly and inherits the warm tang of local cider and mustard.

Gluten-Free Dairy-Free Option

Prep Time

30 mins

Cook Time

3 hours

Servings

4 people

Ingredients

For the Steaks

• 4 Pork shoulder steaks
• 3 tbsp Vegetable oil
• 3 tbsp Cornflour
• 1/2 tsp Salt
• 1/2 tsp Black pepper

For the Vegetables

• 400g Shallots
• 200g Mushrooms
• 275g Carrots

For the Sauce Base

• 1 pint Cider
• 2 Chicken stock pots
• 2 tbsp Wholegrain mustard
• 1 tbsp English mustard
• 2 tsp Cornflour (extra thickener)
• 25g Butter
• 300ml Water

Method

Step 1: Soften the Shallot Skins

Place all of your shallots directly into boiling water and cover with a lid for 5 minutes. This softens the outer layers, allowing you to slide the skins off effortlessly.

Step 2: Season the Cornflour

Measure out your cornflour into a wide plate or dish, and toss thoroughly with salt and black pepper.

Step 3: Dredge the Steaks

Dredge each pork shoulder steak inside the dry cornflour mixture, making sure the entire surface has a uniform dusty coating.

Step 4: Seal the Steaks

Heat up 2 tablespoons of your oil in a skillet. Sear the pork shoulder steaks until browned and sealed completely on both sides. Once caught, arrange them across the bottom of a heavy ovenproof casserole baking dish.

Step 5: Sauté the Aromatics

Chop your carrots and mushrooms down into rough, rustic chunks. Pour your remaining table oil into the same searing pan and drop in the peeled whole shallots, carrots, and mushrooms to pick up flavor.

Step 6: Combine Meat and Veg

Once your shallots are lightly blistered and golden, scoop the contents of the pan out and layer them uniformly over the pork steaks in the casserole dish.

Step 7: De-glaze the Pan

Pour your full pint of cider directly into the warm pan. Stir in the wholegrain mustard, English mustard, and chicken stock pots, scraping up the pan sediment.

Step 8: Emulsify the Sauce Base

Use a kitchen wire whisk to thoroughly incorporate the remaining cornflour, butter, and water, bringing it up to a uniform simmer.

Step 9: Submerge the Casserole

Pour your rich mustard-cider sauce directly over the layered pork steaks and vegetables until everything is covered.

Step 10: Foil and Slow Bake

Seal the top of the ovenproof casserole dish securely with a thick layer of tin foil to trap the moisture. Bake in a preheated oven at 160°C for 2 and a half hours until the pork steaks are incredibly tender. Serve alongside savoy cabbage and creamy mash.