Slow cooker

Freezer friendlyGreat for batch cookingRecommended for a 3.5 litre slow cooker

Slow cooker Pork Family dinner One-pot meal Butter beans Apple Make-ahead

Slow Cooker Pork Shoulder with Apple, Sage and Butter Beans

Name: Slow Cooker Pork Shoulder with Apple, Sage and Butter Beans
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 420 min
Total time: 440 min
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients: 1 tablespoon vegetable oil; 900 g boneless pork shoulder, cut into 4 cm chunks; 2 medium brown onions, thinly sliced; 2 eating apples, peeled, cored and cut into wedges; 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped; 2 teaspoons dried sage; 1 tablespoon plain flour; 500 ml reduced-salt chicken stock, made with a stock cube; 1 tablespoon wholegrain mustard; 2 teaspoons runny honey; 2 x 400 g tins butter beans, drained and rinsed; 1 tablespoon fresh sage leaves, finely shredded, plus extra to serve; ½ teaspoon fine salt; ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper

Tender chunks of pork shoulder are slow-cooked with sweet apples, onions, sage and creamy butter beans in a savoury mustard gravy. It is a filling one-pot family meal that works well with mashed potatoes or crusty bread.

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Slow cooker

Tags: Slow cooker, Pork, Family dinner, One-pot meal, Butter beans, Apple, Make-ahead

Slow Cooker Pork Shoulder with Apple, Sage and Butter Beans

Prep: 20 min
Cook: 7 hrs
Total: 7 hr 20 min
Servings: 4

Equipment

Slow-cooker size: 3.5 litre

3.5 litre slow cooker
Large frying pan
Wooden spoon
Kitchen paper

Ingredients

1 tablespoon vegetable oil
900 g boneless pork shoulder, cut into 4 cm chunks
2 medium brown onions, thinly sliced
2 eating apples, peeled, cored and cut into wedges
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 teaspoons dried sage
1 tablespoon plain flour
500 ml reduced-salt chicken stock, made with a stock cube
1 tablespoon wholegrain mustard
2 teaspoons runny honey
2 x 400 g tins butter beans, drained and rinsed
1 tablespoon fresh sage leaves, finely shredded, plus extra to serve
½ teaspoon fine salt
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper

Substitutions

Boneless pork shoulder → Boneless pork leg (Use the same weight, but check it towards the end as it may become tender slightly sooner.)
Butter beans → Cannellini beans (Drain and rinse well before adding.)
Wholegrain mustard → Dijon mustard (Use 2 teaspoons if you prefer a smoother, sharper flavour.)
Fresh sage → 1 teaspoon extra dried sage (Add it with the other dried sage rather than at the end.)

Instructions

Pat the pork dry with kitchen paper and season with the salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a large frying pan over a medium-high heat and brown the pork in batches for 2–3 minutes on each side. Transfer it to the slow cooker.
Add the onions to the frying pan and cook for 4 minutes, stirring, until beginning to soften. Stir in the garlic and dried sage for 30 seconds, then sprinkle over the flour and stir for 1 minute.
Gradually pour the stock into the pan, scraping up any browned bits. Stir in the mustard and honey, then pour the sauce over the pork in the slow cooker.
Add the apple wedges and shredded fresh sage. Cover with the lid and cook on low for 6–7 hours, until the pork is very tender and cooked through.
Stir in the drained butter beans for the final 30 minutes of cooking so they warm through without breaking up completely.
Check the seasoning and serve in bowls with mashed potatoes, steamed greens or crusty bread. Sprinkle with a few extra sage leaves if liked.

Storage and leftovers

Freezer friendly: Yes

Suitable for batch cooking

Cool leftovers promptly, transfer to a covered container and refrigerate within two hours. Use within 3 days. Freeze in suitable portions for up to 3 months; the apples may be a little softer after freezing. Defrost: Defrost frozen portions in the refrigerator overnight. Do not cook the pork from frozen in the slow cooker. Reheat the fully defrosted food until piping hot throughout.

Reheat in a saucepan over a medium heat, stirring occasionally, or in the microwave in a covered microwave-safe container. Add a splash of stock or water if needed and reheat until piping hot throughout.

Shred any leftover pork and serve it in toasted rolls with the beans and gravy, or spoon it over baked potatoes with steamed cabbage.

Allergen information

Contains mustard and may contain wheat or other allergens depending on the stock cube. Check labels if cooking for someone with an allergy.

Always check ingredient packaging and labels if you or someone you are cooking for has an allergy.

Instructions

Pat the pork dry with kitchen paper and season with the salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a large frying pan over a medium-high heat and brown the pork in batches for 2–3 minutes on each side. Transfer it to the slow cooker.

Add the onions to the frying pan and cook for 4 minutes, stirring, until beginning to soften. Stir in the garlic and dried sage for 30 seconds, then sprinkle over the flour and stir for 1 minute.

Gradually pour the stock into the pan, scraping up any browned bits. Stir in the mustard and honey, then pour the sauce over the pork in the slow cooker.

Add the apple wedges and shredded fresh sage. Cover with the lid and cook on low for 6–7 hours, until the pork is very tender and cooked through.

Stir in the drained butter beans for the final 30 minutes of cooking so they warm through without breaking up completely.

Check the seasoning and serve in bowls with mashed potatoes, steamed greens or crusty bread. Sprinkle with a few extra sage leaves if liked.

Swaps and substitutions

Boneless pork shoulder → Boneless pork leg

Use the same weight, but check it towards the end as it may become tender slightly sooner.

Butter beans → Cannellini beans

Drain and rinse well before adding.

Wholegrain mustard → Dijon mustard

Use 2 teaspoons if you prefer a smoother, sharper flavour.

Fresh sage → 1 teaspoon extra dried sage

Add it with the other dried sage rather than at the end.

Storage and leftovers

Freezer friendly

Yes

Batch cooking

Suitable for batch cooking

Storage

Reheating

Leftover ideas

Shred any leftover pork and serve it in toasted rolls with the beans and gravy, or spoon it over baked potatoes with steamed cabbage.

Ingredients

Recipe serves 4

Adjust servings

Cooking time may not change in direct proportion to serving size.

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

900 g boneless pork shoulder, cut into 4 cm chunks

2 medium brown onions, thinly sliced

2 eating apples, peeled, cored and cut into wedges

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

2 teaspoons dried sage

1 tablespoon plain flour

500 ml reduced-salt chicken stock, made with a stock cube

1 tablespoon wholegrain mustard

2 teaspoons runny honey

2 x 400 g tins butter beans, drained and rinsed

1 tablespoon fresh sage leaves, finely shredded, plus extra to serve

½ teaspoon fine salt

¼ teaspoon ground black pepper

Slow Cooker Pork Shoulder with Apple, Sage and Butter Beans

Slow Cooker Pork Shoulder with Apple, Sage and Butter Beans

Equipment

Ingredients

Substitutions

Instructions

Storage and leftovers

Allergen information

Instructions

Equipment needed

Swaps and substitutions

Storage and leftovers

Allergen information

My private notes

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