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Recipe Detail Page
Pork Pot Roast with Winter Vegetables & Calvados Gravy
Holiday 2023
A mash-up of a pot roast and a sheet-pan dinner, a juicy pork roast is first braised in a bath of cider, onions and thyme. It’s finished on a bed of winter vegetables, while the braising liquid is transformed into a sumptuous, onion-thickened gravy. It’s a comforting dish and an affordable way to feed a crowd.
Serves 6 to 8
4 lb (1.81 kg) boneless pork butt roast, tied
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
2 tbsp (30 mL) canola oil
3 onions, diced, about 3 cups (750 mL)
3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
3 tsp (15 mL) chopped thyme, divided
1/4 cup (60 mL) Calvados (or brandy)
1 cup (250 mL) dry hard apple cider
3 cups (750 mL) unsalted chicken stock, preferably homemade
1 bay leaf
2 small red onions, about 5 oz (140 g) each, peeled, quartered
16 large Brussels sprouts, trimmed
1 lb (455 g) celeriac, peeled, cut into
1 1/2-inch (4-cm) chunks
1/4 cup (60 mL) heavy cream
Finely sliced chives to garnish
1. Preheat oven to 325°F (163°F).
2. Pat pork dry with paper towel. Season generously with salt and pepper. Heat oil in large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Carefully transfer pork to pan, fat side down. Cook, turning occasionally, until nicely browned on all six sides, 12 to 14 minutes total. (Lower heat if it’s starting to scorch.) Transfer pork to a plate and reduce heat to medium. Scoop off all but 2 tbsp (30 mL) rendered fat. (Reserve another 2 tbsp/30 mL for roasting vegetables.)
3. Add onions to pot. Cook, stirring occasionally, until golden brown, about 10 minutes. Add garlic and 2 tsp (10 mL) thyme. Cook, stirring, 1 minute. Add Calvados and cider. Raise heat to high and scrape up any brown bits with a wooden spoon. Return roast to pan, placing it on its side. Add stock and bay leaf. When it comes to a boil, cover and place in oven. Cook, carefully flipping roast at halfway mark, until meat is fork tender, about 3 hours.
4. Remove pot from oven and raise temperature to 425°F (218°C).
5. Carefully transfer roast to a plate. Tent with foil. Pour braising liquid into a medium saucepan. Discard bay leaf. Using a ladle, skim and discard as much fat as possible. Set pan aside.
6. Place red onions, Brussels sprouts and celeriac on a large, heavy-duty baking sheet. Drizzle with reserved pork fat, sprinkle with remaining 1 tsp (5 mL) thyme and season with salt and pepper. Toss to coat evenly. Bake on rack in lower third of oven for 20 minutes. Remove from oven, flip vegetables and place roast in middle, fat side up. Bake until vegetables are tender and nicely browned, about 10 minutes more.
7. When vegetables first go in the oven, place saucepan over high heat. When it comes to a boil, reduce heat to maintain a vigorous simmer. Cook, stirring occasionally and skimming fat, until sauce tastes lip-smackingly good—it will be reduced to around 2 1/2 cups (625 mL). Transfer sauce to blender and purée until smooth. Transfer to a small saucepan and stir in cream. Keep hot over low heat.
8. Arrange vegetables on a large, warmed serving platter and sprinkle with chives. Cut pork in half crosswise then into 3/4‑inch (2-cm) thick slices. Place pork on platter. Serve with gravy on side.
Serves 6 to 8
