Tender Spanish pork shoulder with caramelized apple & pear jus
Byron
Once you’ve prepared the marinade, this Spanish pork shoulder recipe takes less than 45 minutes to prepare and cook and is an ideal mid-week dinner option. It’s absolutely delicious on its own or can be a great meat-based main alongside some roasted veg.
Cuisine meat, Mediterranean, protein rich diet, spanish
Servings 4people
Calories 855kcal
Equipment
Large baking pan 30cm x 20cm (12 inches x 8 inches)
Small 20cm/8-inch frying pan
Aluminum foil (optional)
Ingredients
For the pork;
800gr./1.7 lb of boneless pork shoulder
3garlic clovescrushed
1.5tablespoonssweet mustard
1tablespoonhoney
1teaspoondried thyme
1teaspoonsweet paprika
5tablespoonsextra virgin olive oil
3tablespoonssoy sauce
130ml/4.5 fl. oz. of beer
Freshly ground black pepperfor seasoning
Saltfor seasoning
For the jus;
1pearripe
1red apple
1tablespoonof olive oil
2tablespoonsof brown sugar
60ml/2 fl. oz. water
60ml/2 fl. oz. sweet sherryWe use Pedro Ximénez, a naturally sweet sherry from Spain
1-2star anise
3-4clovesprigs
1teaspoonof cinnamon
Instructions
Step 1 - Prepare the marinade
In a bowl, combine the sweet mustard, garlic, honey, thyme, sweet paprika, soy sauce, and 4-5 tablespoons of the olive oil and mix well. If the mixture is thick, add a little of the beer and mix again to a syrup-like consistency.
Step 2 - Marinade the Pork
Add a splash of olive oil to the large baking tray, add the pork shoulder and pour the marinade till it evenly covers all the pork. With the remaining beer, pour over the pork and spoon the marinade over the meat. Once coated evenly with marinade, season lightly with salt and pepper. Cover tray with some foil or kitchen film and refrigerate for 1 hour.
Step 3 - Roast pork
Heat fan-forced oven to 180ºC (360ºF), non fan forced ovens to 200ºC (400ºF).
Once oven is hot, remove foil from oven tray and add the tray of pork to the oven and cook for 10 minutes. Around the 10 minute mark, use a spoon to ladle the marinade over the pork and return to the oven for another 10-15 minutes (allow a little more time if you’d like the pork to be cooked medium-well).
(Optional) We won’t use all the apple or pear when making the jus. So optionally, cut half of the apple and pear into slices and add it beside the pork.
Step 4 - Prepare the apple & pear jus
Set aside 2 thin slices of the pear and put onto a baking tray lined with baking paper. (We will grill these later).
With the remaining apple and pear, remove core and seeds and dice. On a medium heat, add the olive oil to the frying pan and once hot, add the apple and pear and saute for 5 minutes or until it becomes soft. Once soft, use a fork and gently mash the fruit.
Add the water, star anise, cloves, and cinnamon and mix well. Bring back up to simmer for another 3-4 minutes.
Add the sherry and mix well. Sprinkle the brown sugar over the jus and let it simmer for another 5-10 minutes or until the jus thickens. The sherry should mostly evaporate and once thickened, cover the jus with some aluminum foil and set aside for serving.
Step 5 - Grill the pear slices
Once the pork is cooked, remove from the oven and cover with aluminum foil.
Glaze the pear slices with some olive oil and (optional) sprinkle a little brown sugar on top. Add to the grill section of the oven and grill on a high heat for 2-3 minutes, or until lightly golden and slightly crispy. Note: The time taken will depend on how powerful your oven grill is, so be careful not to burn them!
Step 6 - To serve
Remove the cooked pork from the pan and use a fork and shark knife to slice into ½-inch slices. When cooked perfectly, the pork should be slightly pink in the center.
To plate, add the pork to a plate and use a tablespoon to drizzle the apple and pear jus over the pork slices. Finally, carefully take the grilled pear slice and top on the pork slices as a garnish. If you have roasted some of the apple and pear, these work great as a side garnish too!
Best served with some roasted potatoes and paired with a young red wine, or a light lager beer.