This slow cooked beer braised pork shoulder with crispy crackling gives you the best of both worlds, deeply flavourful, fall-apart meat and properly crispy crackling. The pork is slowly cooked in a rich beer and vegetable base, and you the crackling is impossible to mess up.
After other delish slow cooked meat recipes? You'll love my Easy Lamb Stew recipe or my Osso Buco Red Wine Stew
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- Why you should make this recipe
- Ingredients for Slow Cooked Beer Braised Pork Shoulder with Crispy Crackling
- Instructions for slow cooked beer braised pork shoulder with crispy crackling
- Storage for Slow Cooked Beer Braised Pork Shoulder with Crispy Crackling
- FAQ
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- WATCH HOW TO MAKE THIS RECIPE:
- Slow Cooked Beer Braised Pork Shoulder with Crispy Crackling
Why you should make this recipe
1. You get guaranteed crispy crackling AND tender meat
A lot of recipes sacrifice one for the other, but this method gives you both. Slow cooking keeps the meat juicy, then all the time in the oven gives perfectly crispy crackling.
2. It’s perfect for hosting or a Sunday roast
It feeds a crowd easily and feels like a proper, comforting meal. Serve it with potatoes, greens and gravy and you’ve got a full spread.
3. The sauce is next level
The braising liquid gets blended into a rich, glossy sauce packed with flavour, it makes the BEST gravy. It ties the whole dish together and makes it feel restaurant-level.
Ingredients for Slow Cooked Beer Braised Pork Shoulder with Crispy Crackling
- pork shoulder (skin on): the fat and connective tissue break down during slow cooking, giving you that juicy, pull-apart texture while the skin crisps into crackling
- carrots: add natural sweetness and body to the braising liquid
- brown onion: builds a savoury base and depth of flavour
- celery: adds balance and a subtle savoury bitterness
- garlic: gives the braise richness and a mellow sweetness once cooked
- wholegrain mustard: adds tang and texture to cut through the richness
- brown sugar: balances the savoury elements and helps caramelisation
- fennel seeds: classic pairing with pork, adding a subtle aniseed note
- thyme: brings earthy, herbaceous flavour
- sage: pairs beautifully with pork and adds depth
- bay leaves: round out the braise with a subtle background flavour
- chicken stock: forms the base of the braising liquid and keeps the meat juicy
- lager beer: adds depth and slight bitterness to balance the richness
- salt: essential for seasoning and creating crispy crackling
- black pepper: adds warmth and balance
- extra virgin olive oil: used to sauté and help crisp the skin
See recipe card for quantities.
Instructions for slow cooked beer braised pork shoulder with crispy crackling
Step 1: Sauté onion, carrot and celery
Step 2: Add garlic, mustard, brown sugar, fennel seeds and herbs
Step 3: Pour in beer
Step 4: Add pork and top up with chicken stock, then place oven
Step 5: Let rest for 15 - 20 minutes
Step 6: Slice and serve!
Hint: Keep the skin dry at all costs
Don’t pour liquid over the pork skin and make sure it stays exposed above the braising liquid. This is the difference between soft skin and proper crackling.
I made this dish in my oblong casserole from le creuset!
Storage for Slow Cooked Beer Braised Pork Shoulder with Crispy Crackling
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat gently and crisp the crackling separately in a hot oven. The gravy will keep well and can be reheated on the stove.
FAQ
You can swap it for cider or more stock, but beer adds a nice depth.
Related
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
WATCH HOW TO MAKE THIS RECIPE:
Slow Cooked Beer Braised Pork Shoulder with Crispy Crackling
Ingredients
- 1.8 kg pork shoulder no bone, with skin
- 3 carrots cut to 2 inch pieces
- 1 brown onion large, or two small, roughly sliced
- 2 stalks celery cut into 2 inch pieces
- 12 garlic cloves peeled and lightly crushed
- 2 tablespoon mustard wholegrain
- 2 tablespoon brown sugar
- ½ tablespoon fennel seeds
- 4 sprigs thyme
- 10 sage leaf
- 2 bay leaf
- 750 ml chicken stock
- 375 ml beer lager
- salt kosher or fine sea salt
- pepper black
- 2 tablespoon olive oil extra virgin
Gravy
- 1 cup left over braising liquid separated from fat
- 2 tablespoon flour plain
- 2 tablespoon butter salted (unsalted fine too)
- ½ cup water or chicken stock
Serve with
- roasted potatoes
- peas
- carrots from the braise
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 175C fan.
- Bring a large cast iron pot or braising/shallow casserole to medium/high heat with 2 tablespoon olive oil. Add the onion, carrot and celery with a big pinch of salt and sauté for 5 - 7 minutes until well browned.
- Add the garlic, mustard, brown sugar, fennel seeds, thyme, sage bay leaf with another pinch of salt and a good crack of pepper and sauté for a further 2 - 3 minutes.
- Pour in the beer and use a flat wooden spatula or spoon to deglaze the bottom of the pot, scraping off any fond to mix into the braising liquid.
- Score the pork shoulder skin, drizzle with a light layer of olive oil and season very generously with a layer of salt (about 1 - 2 tablespoon worth). Gently place the pork into the pot with the skin side up.
- Slowly fill the pot with chicken stock, until the liquid sits just below the skin (don't pour the stock over the pork, the skin needs to stay dry, just pour it into the side of the pot). You want as much skin exposed to air as possible. You may not use all of the chicken stock but leave aside as you may need it later.
- Transfer to the oven and cook for about 4 hours. Check every hour - we want most of the pork to stay submerged in liquid (excluding the skin) so top up with chicken stock as needed.
- After 3 ½ - 4 hours, the skin should have completely hardened and turned into crispy crackling. If not, crank the temp up to 220 for 15 - 20 minutes.
- After about 4 - 4 ½ hours total in the oven, take the whole dish out of the oven, transfer the pork to a seperate tray to cool for 15 - 20 minutes.
- If making gravy, strain the braising liquid (keep the carrots and garlic for serving) then remove as much fat as possible from the liquid (a thin layer of fat on top is fine but remove as much as you can).
- To make the gravy, melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium/low heat then add the flour. Whisk and allow the flour to get a little toasty for 1 - 2 minutes. Add about ¼ cup of the braising liquid and whisk until smooth. Continue adding braising liquid and whisking until you have a smooth gravy. If its too thick, add some extra chicken stock or water until desired thickness. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper if needed.
- Cut up pork, serve with potatoes, peas, carrots from the braise and the garlic. Pour over gravy and enjoy!
Alex
Mate. This is my favourite way to eat pork now. The crackling was unreal and the pork was pull apart PERFECT.
No notes, this is delicious.
Sarah
Thank you so much!! So glad you enjoyed.