Ingredients:

  • 4 lbs bone-in pork shoulder (Boston Butt)
  • 2 tbsp neutral oil
  • 2 tbsp kosher salt
  • 1 tbsp coarse black pepper
  • 1 tbsp smoked paprika
  • 1 lb dried black-eyed peas, soaked overnight and drained
  • 500g collard greens, stemmed and roughly chopped
  • 2 cups hard apple cider
  • 3 cups low-sodium chicken bone broth
  • 1 large yellow onion, diced
  • 4 cloves garlic, smashed
  • 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
  • 2 sprigs fresh thyme

Instructions:

  1. Pat the pork shoulder dry and season aggressively with salt, pepper, and smoked paprika. Heat oil in a 7-quart Dutch oven over medium-high heat and sear the pork until a dark brown crust forms on all sides, about 20 minutes total. Remove pork and set aside.
  2. Reduce heat to medium. Add diced onions to the pot and sauté until translucent, scraping the browned bits (fond) from the bottom. Add smashed garlic and thyme sprigs, cooking for 1 minute until fragrant.
  3. Pour in the hard apple cider to deglaze the pot. Add the soaked black-eyed peas and chicken bone broth. Return the seared pork shoulder to the pot, nestling it into the liquid.
  4. Cover with a tight lid and transfer to a 300°F (150°C) oven. Braise for 5 hours.
  5. Remove the lid and stir in the chopped collard greens and apple cider vinegar. Ensure greens are submerged. Cover and cook for 1 additional hour until the pork reaches an internal temperature of 195°F and the greens are tender.