Shoulder of pork with cider and apples

Method

1. Heat the oven to 180°C/fan160°C/ gas 4. Rub salt all over the pork and put in a large roasting tin. Pour in the stock and cider, spoon the sugar around (keeping it off the pork skin), then add the halved garlic bulb and half the sage. Roast for 1 hour. Meanwhile, score a line around the middle of each apple with a small knife (see Know-how). Add to the tin after the first hour of roasting.
2. Roast for another hour or until a digital probe thermometer pushed into the middle of the meat reads 65°C (see tips). Remove the apples and garlic from the tin to a plate, cover and keep warm. Remove the pork, then pour the juices into a pan, scraping in any stuck bits using a wooden spoon. Return the pork to the roasting tin, turn the oven up to 240°C/fan220°C/gas 9 and roast for 15-20 minutes until the skin is crackled and crisp. Remove from the oven and rest for 20 minutes.
3. Put the pan with the roasting juices over a medium heat, add the rest of the sage and bubble to reduce to a rich, slightly thickened sauce. Keep tasting – the trick is to stop reducing when you’re happy with the balance of flavours. Add in an extra splash of cider – it will give the sauce a lift. Serve the pork with the apples and sauce, with roast potatoes and steamed greens.
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