Pork Shoulder in Dark Beer with Apple Cabbage and Buckwheat

Instructions

1. 1

   Prepare the ingredients

   Cut the pork shoulder into cubes about 4 cm in size. Slice the cabbage into strips, the onion into thin slices, and the apples into wedges about 1 cm thick. Toss the meat with 6 g of salt and the black pepper.

   
2. 2

   Brown the meat

   Heat the rapeseed oil in a pan over medium-high heat. Brown the meat in two batches, for about 2 minutes on each side, until the surface is browned. Do not brown it all at once, or it will start to stew. Transfer the browned meat to the slow cooker.

   
3. 3

   Fill the slow cooker

   Add the cabbage, onion, apples, caraway seeds, and bay leaves to the slow cooker. In a bowl, mix the dark beer, 100 ml of water, and mustard; pour the mixture into the cooker. Stir gently, cover, and cook on LOW for 7 hours. Avoid opening the cooker unnecessarily during cooking. The meat must be thoroughly heated; if checking with a thermometer, it should reach at least 71 °C in the center.

   
4. 4

   Cook the buckwheat

   During the last 20 minutes of cooking the meat, rinse the buckwheat with cold water. Put it in a pot with 480 ml of water and 2 g of salt. Bring to a boil, cover, and simmer for 12 to 15 minutes, until the water has been absorbed. Remove from the heat and leave covered for 5 minutes.

   
5. 5

   Finish and serve

   After 7 hours, remove the bay leaves. Stir the apple cider vinegar into the meat and cabbage, taste, and add a small measured amount of salt if needed. The cabbage should be tender but still hold its shape; the sauce should be savory-sweet with a bright acidity. Serve with the buckwheat.