Pork braised in cider

It's been a while since I have posted anything. Here is my interpretation of Braised Pork Shoulder by Cristine Cushing

The adaptation has more to do with what I had handy in the kitchen. I used a piece from the pork leg I bought a few weeks ago and de-boned. So the piece was from the other end of the pig.

Ingredients
3-4lb boneless pork roast
3-4 cloves of garlic
salt & pepper for seasoning the roast
2 tbsp oil
2 leeks, halved and sliced into 1/2" pieces
1 tsp whole cumin seed
1/2 tsp ground cardamom
1 tsp whole coriander
1/2 tsp ground ginger
4" cinnamon stick
1 tsp hot sauce
1/2 cup sauvignon blanc
1 litre of hard apple cider
2 fuji apples, cored and sliced

Slice the garlic into slivers. cut slits in the pork and insert the garlic slits, randomly located around the roast

Heat the oil in a large pot. Sear the pork on all sides, remove and set aside

Add the leeks and cook until wilted and slightly browned. Add the spices and continue to cook for a few minutes. Deglaze the pan with the wine.

Add the pork back to the pot. Pour over the cider and add the apples. Bring to a boil and simmer for 2-3 hours.

Remove the roast from the pot and cover with foil to keep warm. Strain the liquid and return to the pot. Boil the liquid until it has reduces by 1/2 or more to make a sauce.

Serve with scalloped potatoes, roasted cauliflower and sauteed mushrooms

Scalloped Potatoes - My style
5 medium potatoes
1c grates cheddar cheese
1c grated asiago
1/2 c graded parmesean
granulated garlic
salt & pepper
skim milk - enough to fill dish.

Thinly slice the potato one at a time. Create a single layer of sliced potato in your casserole dish. Season the layer with salt, pepper and garlic. Sprinkle some of the cheese mixture over the layer. Repeat with enough layers to fill the dish. Make sure you have enough cheese for the top layer. Gently pour the skim milk into the dish until the level is a little below the top. Bake in a 400 F oven for 45 minutes. You will should place a pan underneath to catch the stuff that will drip out of the dish.

Sauteed Mushrooms
1 1/2 lb mushrooms, sliced
3 jalapeno peppers, finely diced
3-4 cloves of garlic, finely diced
1 tsp oil
salt & pepper

In a large pan heat the oil on medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms, peppers and garlic. Season with salt & pepper. Fry until the moisture evaporates and the mushrooms brown slightly.