Pork · Deep winter comfort
Pork, Date and Cider Casserole
Pork shoulder and cider are a natural pairing, and a handful of dates melting into the sauce gives it a dark, mellow sweetness that suits the cold months perfectly. Long, slow cooking renders the shoulder meltingly soft and leaves you with a sauce worth mopping up with bread.
Total
2.5 hrs
Prep
25 mins
Cook
2 hrs
Serves
6
Difficulty
Easy
Method
- 1
Season the pork and brown it in batches in a large casserole until well coloured. Remove and set aside.
- 2
Soften the onions and leeks in the same pan for 10 minutes, then add the garlic. Stir in the flour and cook for 2 minutes.
- 3
Pour in the cider and let it bubble, scraping the base, then add the stock, mustard and thyme. Return the pork.
- 4
Cover and cook at 160°C for 1.5 hours, then stir in the dates and cook for a further 30 minutes until the pork is tender and the sauce rich.
- 5
Check the seasoning and serve with mash or crusty bread.
Ben's Tip
Add the dates in the last half-hour. Put them in too early and they dissolve completely; later, they keep a little texture while still sweetening the sauce.
To Drink
Lean into the apples with a glass of good dry cider, or choose a fuller white like a Viognier to echo the dates' sweetness.
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