Slow-Cooked Maple Pork, Slow-Baked Potatoes with Apples and Onions, Sweet and Savory Red Cabbage and Beets

Ingredients

  • For the slow-cooked maple pork brine:

  • 4 cups apple cider (32 ounces)

  • 1/4 cup kosher salt

  • 1/3 cup brown sugar

  • 3 bay leaves

  • 1 teaspoon peppercorns

  • A small handful of sage leaves

  • A small handful of thyme sprigs

  • A handful of parsley

  • 1 large shallot or 1 small onion, quartered

  • 3 cloves crushed garlic

  • 1 orange, sliced

  • 1 4- to 5-pound pork shoulder

For the glaze:

  • 1/2 cup dark amber maple syrup

  • 1/2 cup grainy mustard

  • 2 tablespoons coarse black pepper

  • 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

  • 2 tablespoons dry mustard

For the slow-baked potatoes

  • 3 pounds medium, thin-skinned potatoes

  • Extra virgin olive oil (EVOO), for liberal drizzling

  • Salt and pepper

  • 1 bunch leeks, halved lengthwise, then cut into pieces 1 1/2-inches thick

For the red cabbage and beets:

  • 1 red cabbage, shredded

  • 1 red onion, thinly sliced

  • 2 large beets, grated into large bowl or shredded in a food processor

  • 2 Honeycrisp apples, shredded or grated

  • 1 cup cloudy apple cider

  • 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar

  • 1/4 cup brown sugar

  • Kosher salt and pepper

  • A few juniper berries (optional)

  • 2 large fresh bay leaves

Directions

For the slow-cooked maple pork: For the brine, combine the ingredients with 4 cups water in a large pot. Heat to dissolve the sugar and salt, then cool completely. Add the pork shoulder and refrigerate overnight. Bring the pork to room temperature and pre-heat the oven to 275ºF. Combine the glaze ingredients in a small bowl. Pat the pork dry and slather with half of the glaze. Transfer to a roasting pan and roast for 5 hours. Slather with the remaining glaze and continue cooking until tender, about 1 hour more. Let cool for 30 minutes and shred or slice as you serve. For the slow-baked potatoes: Pre-heat the oven to 275ºF. Slow-bake the potatoes for 3 hours. Using the bottom of a glass, squash the potatoes to crack them open and flatten them a bit. In a skillet, heat the EVOO and add in the leeks. Cook to wilt. Combine the leeks with the potatoes in a casserole. Raise the oven temperature to 425ºF and bake until crisp. For the red cabbage and beets: Place all the ingredients in a pot over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil and wilt the cabbage; cover and reduce the heat. Cook for 1 hour, stirring occasionally.