An easy pork roast recipe cooked with potatoes and herbs in cider in one pot. A traditional French dish from Picardie in Northern France without any cream. The result is the most juicy roast pork that just melts in the mouth with a glossy sauce with a taste of apples.
Always hesitate between this one and your other great recipe of pork and honey - both are so yummy and such good recipes. - Rita
Ingredients for an Easy Pork Roast
What we love about this French recipe is that it's so quick to prepare with few ingredients. Just gather the following quality ingredients together that enhance the pork's flavour - and let the pot do all the cooking!
- Cuts of pork - ask your butcher for either a large tenderloin fillet or pork shoulder, tied and enveloped in fat to keep the meat moist while cooking, which is removed before serving. If not, envelope it yourself in streaky bacon and tie together with cooking string.
- Potatoes - new potatoes are good but red-skinned potatoes also give a slightly nutty flavour, especially if you keep their skins on (it's healthier too.)
More on varieties best for cooking on the market page on potatoes. - Cider - best to use is dry apple cider ('cidre brut' in French), about half a 75cl bottle. Unlike apple cider in the USA which is apple juice, French cidre is alcoholic (about 5%). If you prefer to use apple juice, then pick unsweetened without sugar.
- Rosemary - The best herb for flavour and cooks well from the beginning, adding a lovely flavour to the pot. Sage or thyme is also good.
- Shallot - a large shallot or small onion adds depth to the flavour. Avoid onion powder or garlic powder as the taste will interfere with the apple flavours.
- Cornflour - keeps it gluten-free and thickens the juices quickly into a glossy sauce.
- Apples - Optional - Cooked separately towards the end of cooking, this stops them from going mushy. Fry them in the rest of the butter and, if organic, keep the skins on.
For more, see the market page on apples.
Which Pork Roast is the Most Tender?
To roast, choose either pork shoulder ('l'échine' in French) or fillet (tenderloin, known as 'filet mignon' in France). These are the best pork roasts for cooking in a Dutch oven, making your roast beautifully tender.
I normally use shoulder for roasting, which is a cheaper cut (well, I am Scottish!) and what I'm using here. In France, it's labelled as 'rôti de porc' (roast pork) at the butcher and tends to be shoulder with the bone removed, tied together and enveloped in fat to keep the meat moist while cooking. If using fillet, either cover in bacon or fat to keep it moist, as it's a particularly lean cut.
What Herbs Go Best with Pork?
Fresh rosemary, sage and thyme all go very well with pork. As these aromatic herbs also cook well at high temperatures, they are best suited to pork roasts and stews like this Corsican veal stew. Personally I find that rosemary is better than thyme. Fresh herbs are best but if you don't have them, freeze dried or dried herbs are good.
For more, see the market page on aromatic fresh herbs.
How to Cook a Pork Roast in a Dutch Oven
This pork roast is a relaxed, one-pot affair. First, I brown the pork (shoulder or loin) with rosemary and shallot to build flavour, then let the potatoes soak up those savoury juices. A splash of dry cider does the rest, gently braising the meat until it's tender and juicy.
While the pork rests, I quickly thicken the cider juices into a glossy sauce - no faffing, no straining. From there, it's simply a matter of slicing the pork and serving it straight from the pot with the potatoes. Add buttered apples if you like, or keep things simple with braised vegetables.
That's it. Minimal prep, calm cooking, and a dinner that feels far more impressive than the effort involved.
Buttered Apple Slices
Although optional, this is a delicious side instead of vegetables. 20 minutes before the end of cooking, sauté apple slices for 6-8 minutes until golden. Keep your eye on them; no more than 10 otherwise they'll turn mushy.
How Long Does it Take to Cook a Pork Roast?
To cook a pork roast (pork shoulder) in a Dutch oven enamel pot, it takes a total of 1 hour 45 minutes, including a simmering time of 1 hour 30 minutes. This is based on 1kg (2lb) pork so anything bigger will require longer to cook: a 2kg (4lb roast will take up to 2.5-3 hours). However, pork loin roast will take a bit less: with a simmering time of about an hour.
If using a crock pot, timings will be much longer (about double) based on a slow cook.
Can Pork Be Pink?
Unlike beef steak or cooking duck fillets, pork roast should not be pink in the middle. To tell your pork roast is done, no pink juices should be left. When pierced with a skewer, the juices should run clear without any pink showing.
When this happens, remove the roast on to a chopping board and leave to rest for 5 minutes. Then remove the fat and slice these juicy slices.
Should Pork Roast be Wrapped in Foil?
No. Recent studies suggest avoiding aluminium foil in contact with meat or fish. A Dutch oven or enamel pot does the job far better.
How to Serve
When ready, serve the sliced roast pork surrounded by the glossy apple cider sauce, and potatoes. It's so tender it melts-in-the-mouth! Serve with dry French Cidre ('brut') or a fruity white wine such as Voignier or Chenin Blanc. For red wine lovers, a fruity Pinot Noir from Burgundy or Alsace will match well.
Serve either with the buttered apples or - as many pork roast recipes - it goes well with any of these veggies:
- Braised German red cabbage - the best pairing, as contains apples and spices
- Glazed Vichy carrots
- Sautéed green beans
- Sautéed Savoy cabbage with garlic and caraway seeds
If you love pork and need a quick recipe, then try our easy Pork in Honey sauce, a delicious mid-week dinner.
Pork Roast Recipe
Equipment
- Dutch oven or lidded enamel pot
Ingredients
- 1 kg (2lb) pork tenderloin or boneless pork shoulder see NOTES
- 1-2 sprigs rosemary (thyme or sage)
- 25 g (1oz/ ¼ stick) butter, unsalted
- 1 large shallot finely chopped (or small onion)
- 500 g (1lb) small potatoes washed, unpeeled, halved if large
- ½ teaspoon each of salt and black pepper
- 300 ml (1 cup) dry cider 'cidre brut' (about 5% alcohol) otherwise unsweetened apple juice
- 2 tablespoon cornflour (cornstarch)
Buttered Apples (optional)
- 500 g (1 lb) apples (Golden Delicious, Cox's Pippins) organic
- 25 g (1 oz) butter, unsalted
Instructions
- Heat the butter over a medium heat in an enamel pot that will fit the meat perfectly. Add the rosemary to the meat (wedging sprigs in the string if pork shoulder). Seize the meat on all sides with the chopped shallot. When brown, add the potatoes, and sauté until golden, tossing them around in the pork juices about 3 minutes.
- Glaze with the cidre and let it sizzle. Turn down the heat to low, cover and leave to simmer for 1½ hours (or cook in the oven at 170°C/350°F (150°C fan/Gas 3). Turn the meat and potatoes half way through cooking, basting the roast with the juices. Cooking times will be slightly less for tenderloin - about an hour.
- Pierce the centre of the pork with a skewer to check that no pink juices are left inside. When juices run clear, remove the roast on to a chopping board and leave to rest for 5 minutes. Meanwhile, turn the heat up to low-medium to thicken the sauce. In a small bowl, mix together the cornflour with 2 tablespoon of the cooking juices and quickly stir or whisk in the cornflour mixture to thicken nicely, ensuring all the juices are taken from the bottom of the pan.
Buttered Apples (optional)
- 20 minutes before the end of cooking, wash, quarter and core the apples (peel if not organic). Cut each quarter into 2 slices. Melt the rest of the butter in a non-stick frying pan and sauté the apples for 6-8 minutes (keep your eye on them; no more than 10 otherwise they'll turn mushy) until golden.
Presentation
- Discard the layers of fat (pork shoulder) to discover a tender pork roast. Slice and serve on plates, surrounded by the cidre juice, potatoes and serve with the buttered apples or braised red cabbage (see recipe link below).
Notes
Delicious served with the buttered sliced apples or vegetables such as braised red cabbage. Which pork is best? Use either tenderloin or pork shoulder, both the most tender.
First ensure the pork is removed from the fridge for about an hour before cooking (this tenderises the meat better) and remove any moisture with paper towels.
In France, the roast pork joint is lean and enveloped with fat and tied at intervals to keep it intact during cooking. You can also cover your roast completely with streaky bacon and tie together with cooking string. Otherwise no need for tenderloin, as the cidre juices keep the meat tender and cooking times will be slightly less. Variation: Just before the end of cooking, add a couple of tablespoons of crème fraîche or cream and reduce. Storage for leftovers: any leftover pork roast should be cooled then placed in a sealed container (avoid foil) for 3-4 days in the refrigerator or can be frozen for up to a month. Nutrition per serving: total fat 18%, 35g total carbohydrate, 38g protein.
David Scott Allen
I look forward to trying this, Jill. As I mentioned in my comment on social media, the pork in the United States is so dry because they’ve removed all the fat. I’m hoping that slow cooking will take care of that. I’ll post back when I make it.
Jill Colonna
Thanks for mentioning this, David, as I've updated the text in the recipe to make this clearer about the fat covering the joint. In France, the pork is also lean but the fat covering it is to keep it tender. I'm sure streaky bacon will do the job nicely. Sending hugs!
Rita
Always hesitate between this one and your other great recipe of pork and honey - both are so yummy and such good recipes ! Thank you Jill
Jill Colonna
So happy you like both of them, Rita. Thanks so much for your lovely words!
Tracey A
So I am assuming a "crock pot" is an enamel pan on top of the stove? A crock pot to me is the timed, leave on for awhile cooking method.
Jill Colonna
I'm referring to a Dutch oven, what we use in France like le Creuset or Staub, the enamel pan with a lid that you can either use directly on the stove or in the oven. Hm. I should update this, as my English translation was muddled here. Thanks so much for noticing this, Tracey!
Tracey A
Thank you for the recipe, Jill!
Jill Colonna
It's a pleasure.
Tracey A
That looks delicious.
Jill Colonna
It certainly is, full of flavour. I do hope you try it, Tracey.