Preheat the oven to 325°F. Trim any excess fat from the pork shoulder or Boston butt if present, especially large fat caps. If using boneless pork, cut into 4 large pieces; otherwise, leave whole if bone-in. Pat the pork dry thoroughly with paper towels, then liberally season all over with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Heat the neutral cooking oil in a large dutch oven over medium-high heat. Once the oil is hot and shimmering, arrange the seasoned pork pieces in a single layer, searing for 4-5 minutes per side until each side is deeply browned. Depending on the size of your dutch oven, you may need to do this in batches to avoid overcrowding.
While the pork sears, whisk together the fresh apple cider, chicken broth, dijon mustard, and dried minced onion in a bowl and set aside. Tie the rosemary and thyme sprigs together with kitchen twine to create a bouquet garni. Slice the top off the garlic head (not the root end) to expose the cloves.
Once the pork is deeply browned on all sides, pour the prepared braising liquid over the pork in the dutch oven. Nestle in the bundle of rosemary and thyme as well as the garlic head. Cover the pot and transfer to the preheated oven. Braise for about 3 hours (start checking for doneness after 2½ hours if using boneless pork), flipping the pork halfway through. The pork should be just shy of fork tender at this point.
Once the pork is nearly fork tender, remove the pot from the oven. Arrange the thick rounds of red onion and the peeled, wedged apples around the pork in the braising liquid. Cover and return to the oven for another 30-45 minutes until the pork is very tender, the onions have softened, and the apples are cooked but still holding their shape. I like to choose slightly tart apples here—the flavor balances the richness of the pork beautifully.
Remove the dutch oven from the oven and let the pork rest in the braising liquid for about 30 minutes before serving. Squeeze the roasted garlic cloves out of their husk into the broth or onto the pork for extra flavor. Taste the braising liquid and adjust the seasoning with additional salt and freshly ground black pepper if needed. Serve the pork with the apples and onions, spooning some of the fragrant juices over the top.
Recipe from Alrightwithme
