So living in Hawaii is absolute bliss, and while I wouldn’t change it for the world, all I have wanted lately is to curl up in a sweater and go to a pumpkin patch! Thank goodness for air-conditioning here!  It actually has been pouring non-stop for about a week now, so I was taking advantage of all the gloomy days and falling asleep to the sounds of raindrops…yes, bliss!

Last fall, I posted this Weeknight Shredded Pork Tacos with Spicy Pear Salsa, and ever since, it has been one of my all-time most popular recipes! So simple but absolutely delicious! I had a pork shoulder in my freezer from my monthly US Wellness Meats order and decided that it would be perfect for a rainy day dinner.  Pork shoulders are one of my favorites to make, as they always turn out so juicy and flavorful with little effort!

I served this with some a side of roasted brussels sprouts & sweet potatoes roasted in Kasandrinos olive oil, sea salt, and  Primal Palate’s garlic granules.  Life has been so busy these past few weeks getting ready for my cookbook launch (yes, my head is spinning in spreadsheets!), so a comfort food dinner with little effort has been perfect for nights when I am just too tired to cook!  With just a few minutes of preparation early in the day, dinner came together within minutes and not a whole lot of cleanup, which I love cooking but clean up, no thanks!

In other exciting news, be sure to go enter the Pure 7 Chocolates giveaway I am doing on my blog, and be sure to check out my cookbook tour information; West Coast friends, I am coming for YOU!!

Cider Braised Pork Shoulder with Caramelized Onions and Sage

Ingredients

• 1 3lb boneless pork shoulder roast (I get mine here)
• 1 tbsp dijon mustard
• 1 tbsp Celtic sea salt
• lots of fresh cracked black pepper
• 1 tbsp butter or ghee
• 2 medium red onions, thinly sliced
• 5 large cloves garlic, crushed
• 1/4 cup fresh sage, thinly sliced
• 12 oz hard apple cider (I used Angry Orchard*)

*All the alcohol content will be cooked out, but I assume you can also used regular apple cider.

Directions

• Pat your pork shoulder dry with paper towels and coat the entire roast in a layer of mustard.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Set aside for 20 minutes just to come to warm up.
• On the stove top, warm a dutch oven or large roasting pot to medium heat and melt the butter just until the pan is very hot.
• Sear the pork shoulder in the dutch oven for 8 minutes, rotating every 2 minutes so that all sides are seared.  Remove and set aside.
• Turn the pan’s heat down to low.  Add in the onions and sauté for 5 minutes.  Add the garlic and sage and sauté to mix.  Pour in the apple cider, and stir to remove any sizzled bits from the bottom or sides of the pan.
• Place the pork shoulder on top and place the lid on the dutch oven.
• Slowly simmer for 5 hours, rotating the pork once halfway through, or until it is tender to touch with a fork.
• To make the roasted vegetables, simply cube your vegetables, drizzle with Kasandrinos olive oil, sea salt and Primal Palate’s garlic granules.  Roast at 400 degrees F, stirring half way through—sweet potatoes take about 40 minutes and the Brussels sprouts take only about 30.
• Plate and enjoy!