Artificial Food Coloring Free Apple Cider Pulled Pork with Sage
Pulled pork is one of those deeply satisfying dishes that can get complicated fast when you're trying to avoid synthetic dyes hiding in spice blends, bottled sauces, and store-bought braises. This version keeps everything clean and real — the color comes entirely from turmeric, cinnamon, and a long, patient sear in coconut oil, not from anything artificial. Unfiltered apple cider and bone broth build a braising liquid that's genuinely complex, with a subtle sweetness balanced by apple cider vinegar and coconut aminos. Fresh sage leaves and thyme steep right into the pot, so the herbal depth is the real deal, not a flavoring packet. After a few hours of low, slow braising, the pork shreds effortlessly and gets tossed back into the reduced, glossy liquid — no shortcuts, no mystery ingredients. The result is tender, fragrant, and layered with warm spice in a way that feels almost autumnal. It's the kind of recipe that makes you wonder why you'd ever reach for a shortcut sauce again.
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Learn more →Ingredients
6 servings
- 3 lb bone-in pork shoulder (boston butt)
- 1 ½ tsp fine sea salt
- 1 tsp ground turmeric
- ½ tsp ground ginger
- ¼ tsp ground ceylon cinnamon
- 2 tbsp coconut oil
- 1 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced
- 4 cloves garlic, smashed
- 1 cup unfiltered apple cider (not hard cider)
- 1 cup bone broth
- 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1 tbsp coconut aminos
- 1 tbsp honey
- 8 fresh sage leaves
- 2 sprigs fresh thyme
For serving
- 2 tbsp fresh sage, thinly sliced, for serving (optional)
Instructions
- 1
Pat the pork shoulder completely dry with paper towels. In a small bowl, stir together the salt, turmeric, ginger, and Ceylon cinnamon. Rub the spice mixture all over the pork, pressing it into the surface.
- 2
Heat the coconut oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add the pork shoulder and sear, turning with tongs every 3–4 minutes, until deeply browned on all sides, about 12–15 minutes total. Transfer the pork to a plate.
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