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A plate of Spanish pork shoulder slices sits beside some roasted potatoes and garlic

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.
5 from 3 votes
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
marinade time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 50 minutes
Course bbq, dinner, Main Course, meat
Cuisine meat, Mediterranean, protein rich diet, spanish
Servings 4 people
Calories 855 kcal

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;

  • 800 gr./1.7 lb of boneless pork shoulder
  • 3 garlic cloves crushed
  • 1.5 tablespoons sweet mustard
  • 1 tablespoon honey
  • 1 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 1 teaspoon sweet paprika
  • 5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 3 tablespoons soy sauce
  • 130 ml/4.5 fl. oz. of beer
  • Freshly ground black pepper for seasoning
  • Salt for seasoning

For the jus;

  • 1 pear ripe
  • 1 red apple
  • 1 tablespoon of olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons of brown sugar
  • 60 ml/2 fl. oz. water
  • 60 ml/2 fl. oz. sweet sherry We use Pedro Ximénez, a naturally sweet sherry from Spain
  • 1-2 star anise
  • 3-4 clove sprigs
  • 1 teaspoon of 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.

Nutrition

Serving: 150gCalories: 855kcalCarbohydrates: 26.1gProtein: 35.8gFat: 63.4gSaturated Fat: 17.4gCholesterol: 147mgSodium: 952mgPotassium: 184mgFiber: 3.3gSugar: 13.8gCalcium: 28mgIron: 3mg
Keyword cerdo secreto, dinner, iberico secreto, main course, meat, mediterranean, pork