Hard question. Easy answer.
A Pinch of Salt
By Donna Marie Riani
It’s not hard to see why fans of hard cider love it so much. This naturally gluten-free fermented drink is crisp, refreshing and fruity. Hard cider has been in the US since the 17th Century, when it was brought over by immigrants from the British Isles. These immigrants also made sure to bring bags of apple seeds, saplings and their cider presses to continue making this household staple.
Fresh-pressed apples produce sweet cider and these same apples, when allowed to ferment, produce hard cider. Back in the day, hard cider was the beverage of choice for many of our ancestors, including children, as it was believed the the fermentation process made it safer to drink than water.
Trying to picture myself as a child starting my day with a bowl of cereal and a mug of hard cider makes me chuckle.
Hard cider has had a very interesting history. As well as being the beverage of choice, good hard cider could be used to pay your rent or your bills. In the 1700s this wildly popular beverage was also the source of riots in protest of a proposed cider tax.
The hard work and creativity of our ancestors is alive in new and tasty ways in Oregon. Our great state has over 60 cideries putting their own unique spin on this classic beverage. Oregon ciders are considered by many to be some of the best in the world, not to mention that many are award-winning. The alcohol percentages of hard cider can vary greatly from 1.5 to 8.5 percent, the colors can range from pale amber to dark brown and they can be anywhere from dry to sweet to sour. There are also many creative flavors, far more than I could list here.
One of my favorite ways to use hard cider, other than drinking it, is for slow cooking meat. Cider and pork were made to go together. This recipe is perfect for the summer. Everything goes in a slow cooker so there is no need to turn on your oven and heat up the kitchen. I am including one of my favorite recipes for peach barbecue sauce. This recipe will make about eight to 10 sandwiches.
Hard Cider Pulled Pork
4 pounds pork shoulder
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
1/2 cup brown sugar
12-ounce bottle of any Oregon-made plain hard cider (please don’t use unusual flavors as it may not complement the pork)
Peach Barbeque Sauce
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 cloves minced garlic
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
1/4 cup water
1 cup peach preserves
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons spicy brown mustard
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
For the pork
In a small bowl combine the salt, pepper, garlic powder, red pepper flakes and brown sugar. Rub this spice mixture all over the pork. I prefer to rub this mixture in instead of just sprinkling it over the meat, as it adheres to the pork better. Place the pork in the slow cooker. Pour over the hard cider. Place the lid on the slow cooker and cook for 10 hours on low or six hours on high.
For the sauce
Heat a medium saucepan over medium low heat. Add the olive oil and saute the ginger and garlic for one minute, stirring constantly. You are not trying to brown them, you just want to soften them. Add in the rest of the sauce ingredients and stir to combine.
Bring the sauce to a boil, stirring constantly.
As soon as it comes to a boil, lower it to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes, stirring often. This sauce has a high sugar content because of the peach preserves and can burn easily, so keep your eye on it.
After 10 minutes remove it from the heat and set aside. The flavors will continue to develop as it sits.
When the pork is done, lift it out of the crockpot and place it in a large serving bowl, leaving the excess juices in the crockpot. Shred the pork with two forks. If you want the pork juicier, you can mix a little of the juices from the crockpot into the pork.
Take anywhere from a third to a half of the barbeque sauce and mix it into the pulled pork. Serve the rest of the sauce on the side.
Place the pulled pork on buttered toasted buns and if desired, add more barbeque sauce on top.