Slow-cooked, rich and tender. This dish defines winter weekends. The cooked pork is so juicy and tender you can pull it apart with a fork. You can also substitute harissa sauce, by adding a small chopped fresh chile pepper to the onions instead. A 4-quart Dutch oven with a tight-fitting lid is my cooking vessel of choice here. But any heavy-bottomed large pot will do the trick.
ingredients
directions
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
Score pork in a crosshatch pattern.
Make slits all over meat with a small sharp knife and insert a garlic sliver in each slit.
Pat pork dry and season with salt and pepper.
Heat oil in a 4 quart Dutch oven over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, then brown meat on all sides about 8 minutes
Transfer pork to a plate.
Add onions to pot and sauté over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until softened and starting to turn golden, about 5 minutes.
Add salt and pepper and sauté, stirring occasionally, until onions are caramelized, 8 to 10 minutes more.
Stir in spices and harissa.
Continue cooking onions for another 1-2 minutes.
Deglaze pan with Riesling, simmering until liquid has almost evaporated.
Stir in cider, stock and water and return pork to pot.
Add herb sprigs and apples.
Cover pot with a tight-fitting lid and braise pork in middle of oven until very tender, about 2 1/2 to 3 hours.
Transfer pork to a serving dish.
Boil juice in Dutch oven until reduced by 1/2 into a glaze, about 20 minutes.
Season to taste.
Slice pork and serve with the sauce
Garnish with the chopped coriander.