Beef Free Apple Cider Pulled Pork with Sage
Pulled pork gets a serious upgrade here, braised low and slow in unfiltered apple cider, bone broth, and a warm spice rub of turmeric, ginger, and Ceylon cinnamon until it practically falls apart on its own. The combination of coconut aminos and honey in the braising liquid adds a subtle savory-sweet depth that makes the final sauce genuinely hard to stop spooning over things. Searing the pork shoulder first in coconut oil builds a deeply browned crust that pays off in flavor throughout the entire braise. Fresh sage and thyme steep into the liquid as it cooks, then the braising juices get reduced down into a glossy, concentrated sauce that coats every strand of shredded meat. This is a dish built entirely around pork, so there's no need to navigate beef-based broths or hidden beef-derived additives — the bone broth here comes from the recipe as written, and every other ingredient is straightforward and easy to source. It's the kind of meal that fills the kitchen with an incredible smell for hours and tastes even better than it looks piled high and finished with a scatter of fresh sliced sage.
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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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