Sunday roast at its best - Slow roasted pork shoulder with apples, ginger, treacle and allspice

Pork and apple is such a classic combination. Slow roasting the two together creates a mouth-watering feast which celebrates the pork as the star of the show. The meat is so flavoursome, it doesn’t need anything fancy to accompany it; some creamy mashed potato and steamed curly kale is perfect.

Serves 4-6

Cooking time – 2-2½ hrs approx

Ingredients

• 1.35kg (3lb) pork shoulder joint
• 5ml (1tsp) allspice
• Salt
• 30ml (2tbsp) black treacle
• 2.5cm (1") root ginger, peeled and sliced
• 300ml (½pt) cloudy apple juice
• Juice of ½ a lemon
• 15ml (1tbsp) soft brown sugar
• 5ml (1tsp) cinnamon
• 2 eating apples, cored and quartered

To serve:

• Creamy mashed potato
• Curly kale

Method

1. Pre-heat your oven to Gas 4-5, 180˚C, 350˚F.
2. Line a large roasting pan with a double layer of foil.
3. Cut the strings on the joint of pork, flatten the meat and place into the roasting pan – rind side up.
4. Deeply score the pork with a sharp knife and rub in the allspice and generously sprinkle with salt.
5. Next, mix together the treacle, ginger, apple juice, lemon juice, sugar and cinnamon and pour the mixture into the roasting pan.
6. Add the apples and scrunch the foil loosely around the joint – remember to leave the rind exposed.
7. Cook for about 2-2½ hours or until meat is tender and soft – as the joint cooks and begins to shrink re-scrunch the foil around the joint.
8. Serve with creamy mashed potato and steamed curly kale.