Instructions
Follow the steps and taste along the way.
Brown the pork
Preheat the oven to 160 °C. Pat the pork shoulder dry and cut it into 4 large pieces. Season with 8 g of salt and the pepper. Heat 15 ml of oil in a heavy, ovenproof pot and brown the pork in batches on all sides, about 8 minutes in total, until deeply golden brown. Transfer it to a plate.
Prepare the braising base
Finely dice the onion and celery, and mince the garlic. In the same pot, cook the onion and celery for 5 minutes, until the onion softens and starts to turn golden. Add the garlic and crushed juniper berries, and stir for 30 seconds. Pour in the cider and stock, scrape up the browned bits from the bottom of the pot, and stir in the thyme.
Braise the pork
Return the pork and any juices collected on the plate to the pot. The liquid should come about halfway up the pieces; if needed, adjust how they are arranged, not the amount of liquid. Cover with a lid and braise in the oven for 140 minutes. The pork is ready when it pulls apart easily with a fork.
Roast the parsnips
During the final 25 minutes of braising, increase the oven temperature to 220 °C. Peel the parsnips and cut them into fries about 2 cm thick. Toss them with the remaining 15 ml of oil and 3 g of salt, arrange in a single layer on a baking sheet, and roast for 22–25 minutes. Turn them halfway through; the edges should be golden and the centers tender.
Cook the creamy millet
Rinse the millet in a sieve, first with cold water and then with hot water. Put it in a pot with 550 ml of water and the remaining 2 g of salt. Bring to a boil, cover, and cook over the lowest heat for 17–20 minutes, until the water is absorbed. Let it stand, covered, for 5 minutes, then stir in the butter.
Finish the sauce and serve
Remove the pork from the pot and cover loosely. Strain the cooking liquid into a smaller pan, pressing the vegetables with a spoon, then discard them. Simmer the liquid for 5–8 minutes, until slightly thickened, and stir in the Dijon mustard. Taste; if it is too sweet, add another 1 g of salt. Serve the pork with the millet, roasted parsnips, and hot sauce.
