Pulled pork with apple and cider

The great thing about pulled pork cooked in the slow cooker is that it pretty much prepares itself while you get on with your day. Teamed with potatoes, this pork dish is perfect to come home to for an evening meal after a family day out. And if it's alfresco eats your after, it's simplicity itself served in buns.

Ingredients

• 150 g frozen Bramley apple slices
• 150 g frozen diced onions
• 2 cm fresh ginger, peeled and chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
• 1 parsnip, peeled and chopped
• 1 tsp chicken stock powder
• 2 kg boneless pork shoulder
• 12 cloves
• 1 tbsp chopped fresh sage
• 1 tbsp chopped fresh oregano
• 6 medium carrots, peeled if needed, topped and tailed but left whole (optional - see serving suggestion)
• 250 ml dry cider
• To serve - potatoes or burger buns (see serving suggestion)

Preparation

1. Put the apple slices and diced onions into the slow cooker (no need to defrost). You can of course use fresh if you prefer, but using frozen from Priory Farm Shop’s ‘scoop and go’ frozen food selection really does save time. Add the garlic, ginger, parsnips and stock powder then season with plenty of freshly ground black pepper.
2. Use a skewer to make holes in the pork skin then push a clove into each hole. Now, place pork into the slow cooker on top of the apple mixture. Season with freshly ground rock salt and more black pepper.
3. Chop the sage and oregano and sprinkle around the pork. Place the carrots (if using) on top so that they steam rather than braise then pour the cider around the pork. Place the lid on the slow cooker. Cover and cook until the pork is tender, which will take about 8 hours on a low setting.
4. Turn off the slow cooker and remove the pork, putting in on a warm plate. Skim any excess fat off the liquid in the slow cooker. Replace the lid to keep it warm while you deal with the pork.
5. Remove the skin and fat from the pork and use two forks to shred the meat into bite-sized pieces.
6. SERVING SUGGESTIONS - a choice of two: Either with potatoes (if you have room in your slow cooker, put them in as well, arranged around the pork), spooning the apple mix over the pork and placing a carrot to the side, or in burger buns. If you serve in buns, lightly mash the apple mixture in the slow cooker and use a slotted spoon to add a dollop on top of the meat, allowing excess liquid to drain off first. Leave out the carrots if you’re serving this way!