Cosy up on cold nights with the comforting slow cooker pork casserole. Chopped apples would make a great addition – add them in the final hour of cooking.
Prep: 15 mins
Cook: 6-8 hrs
Difficulty: Easy
Serves: 4
INGREDIENTS
1 tbsp vegetable or rapeseed oil
4 pork shoulder steaks (about 750g), cut into large chunks
1 onion, chopped
1 leek, chopped
1 carrot, chopped
bundle of woody herbs (bouquet garni) – we used 2 bay leaves, 3 sage leaves and 4 thyme sprigs, plus a few thyme leaves to serve
1 chicken stock cube
2 tsp Dijon mustard
1 tbsp cider vinegar
2 tsp cornflour
1 tbsp honey
METHOD
- Heat your slow cooker. Drizzle the oil in a wide frying pan over a high heat. Season the pork, then add to the hot pan. Avoid overcrowding the meat – you may want to do this in batches.
- Cook until deep brown all over, then transfer to the slow cooker. Add the onion and leeks to the frying pan and cook for a few mins, until they soften.
- Add a splash of water and scrape any tasty bits from the bottom, then tip everything into the slow cooker.
- Add the carrot, herbs, stock cube, mustard and vinegar, season, then add enough water to just cover the ingredients. Stir, then set your slow cooker on low for 6-8 hrs, or high for 5-6 hrs.
- In a saucepan, mix the cornflour and honey with 1-2 tsp of liquid from the slow cooker, until you have a smooth paste.
- Add 100ml more liquid, bring to a simmer until thickened, then stir back into the casserole.
- Serve with mash, rice or dumplings, scattered with thyme leaves.
Recipe from bbcgoodfood.com
