What’s for dinner? Loxtonia Cider braised pulled pork sandwiches and apple slaw

Serves 8 

You’ll need: For the pork – ± 1,2 – 1,5kg pork shoulder, bone-in; 2 Tbsp of olive oil; 1 Tbsp of Spicy Mexican Style Taco Spice; 1 tsp of mustard powder; salt and pepper to taste; 2 brown onions, sliced; 340ml / 1 bottle Loxtonia Pale Amber Cider; 250ml of good quality BBQ sauce.

To serve – 8 soft brioche-style hamburger buns; softened butter, for toasting; 4 Tbsp of tangy mayonnaise; 8 large dill pickles, sliced; 2 cups of fresh coleslaw; 2 pink lady apples, sliced into thin matchsticks; juice of 1 lime; sweet potato fries to serve.

How to:

Rub the pork with olive oil and season well with spices, salt and pepper.

Sear the pork in a heavy-based cast iron pot / Dutch oven until golden brown all over. Add the onion, Loxtonia Pale Amber Cider and BBQ sauce.

You can cook the pork several ways:

• Cover and cook in a 135˚C oven for ± 3½ hours until tender.
• Pressure cook on high pressure for 1½ hours. Natural release.
• Place in a slow cooker and cook on low for eight hours.

Once the pork is very tender, transfer the meat to a clean bowl.

Shred with two forks, discarding any excess fatty bits and the bone.

Strain the onion out of the cooking liquid, place the liquid back on the heat and bring to a simmer. Reduce by half until you have a thick sauce that coats the back of a spoon.

Pour enough reduced cooking liquid over the pulled pork until super juicy. Mix well.

To assemble the sandwiches:

Combine the coleslaw and apple.

Season with lime juice and a pinch of salt. Toss.

Spread a little softened butter onto the sliced buns and toast until deeply golden brown.

Top the toasted buns with a little swish of mayo, a generous pile of pulled pork and the apple slaw. Finish with some sliced pickles and the top bun.

Serve with crispy sweet potato fries on the side and enjoy with a cold Loxtonia Pale Amber Cider.

* Recipe & image by www.loxtonia.co.za