Slow-cooked pork with homemade applesauce

This is a hearty meal for a brisk fall evening. Once you’ve gathered the ingredients in your slow cooker, sit back and let the mouthwatering scent of cooked apples waft through the air.

Start to finish: 8 hours and 30 minutes (30 minutes active)
Servings: 4

Ingredients
· 2 tablespoons butter
· 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
· 1 pork shoulder, about 2 pounds
· 1 onion, minced
· 2 Cortland apples, peeled, cored, and cut into wedges
· 1/2 cup white wine
· 1/2 cup chicken broth
· 2 tablespoons maple syrup
· 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
· 1 teaspoon dried thyme
· 1 bay leaf
· Salt and pepper, to taste
· 1/3 cup heavy cream
· 1 green onion, minced

Directions
1. In a large pan, melt the butter. Evenly coat the pork in flour and brown it in the pan on all sides.
2. Place the meat in the slow cooker and surround it with the onion and apples. Add the wine, chicken broth, maple syrup, mustard, thyme, and bay leaf. Salt and pepper generously. Set the slow cooker to low heat for 8 hours.
3. Remove the pork and place it in a large bowl. Pour the remaining contents of the slow cooker into a small pot and bring the mixture to a boil. Lower the heat and let it simmer until the sauce is reduced by half.
4. Add the cream to the sauce. Use a fork or hand blender to puree the apples until the sauce has the consistency of applesauce. Add salt and pepper to taste.
5. Use two forks to shred the pork into bite-size pieces. To serve, pour the sauce over the meat and garnish with green onions.