Oven-finished pork shoulder steaks with apple, onion and sage in cider gravy

Oven-Baked Pork Shoulder Steaks

Published 03 February 2026 · Updated 13 October 2026

Browned pork shoulder steaks finish in the oven with sweet apple, onion and sage. Cider and stock make a light sauce to spoon over the sliced pork and creamy mash; this is a short steak-cooking method, not a slow roast.

Not kitchen tested by The Black Farmer.
Serves 2
Prep 10 min
Cook 40 min
Total 55 min

Ingredients

  • Pork Shoulder Steak — 1kg

    Pork shoulder steaks

    2 steaks, approximately 170g each (approximately 340g total); buy 2 x 6oz variants

    £20.70

Adds 2 items across 1 products — £41.40 total.

Pantry ingredients such as oil, salt and herbs are not included.

Other Ingredients You'll Need

  • Onion — 1 medium, finely sliced
  • Apple — 1 medium, cored and cut into thin wedges
  • Fresh sage — 6 leaves, chopped
  • Olive oil — 1 tbsp, divided: 1 tsp for the vegetables, 2 tsp for the pork
  • Cider — 100ml dry cider
  • Chicken stock — 100ml
  • Salt and black pepper — to taste

Method

Prepare the ingredients

Allow 10 minutes preparation. Heat the oven to 180°C conventional (160°C fan). Use a shallow hob-safe oven dish or ovenproof frying pan large enough to hold the shoulder steaks in one layer. Slice the onion and apple, measure the cider and stock, and pat the pork dry. Season the pork lightly. Oven preheating and initial pan heating are included in this preparation allowance; extend it if the oven needs longer. Check the actual steak thickness: the catalogue does not specify it.

Soften the onion and apple

Heat 1 tsp oil over medium heat. Cook the onion for 5 minutes, stirring, then add the apple and cook for a further 5 minutes. Transfer the softened onion and apple to a plate.

Brown the steaks

Add the remaining 2 tsp oil. Brown the pork over medium-high heat for about 2 minutes per side, 4 minutes total. Lower the heat if the residue begins to scorch. Browning is not a safety endpoint.

Make the cider base

Return the onion and apple, add the sage, cider and stock, and allow about 6 minutes to bring the liquid to a gentle simmer. Scrape up brown residue, not black burnt bits. The liquid should sit around the steaks rather than deeply submerge them.

Oven-finish and check

Cover the dish and oven-cook for about 20 minutes. Start checking before the end of the allowance: insert a clean thermometer into the centre of each steak’s thickest part, avoiding any bone, and ensure at least 70°C is held for 2 minutes. The holding time is included only if achieved within the allowance; keep cooking if needed. The pork should be steaming hot throughout with no pink meat and clear juices. Clean the probe after use. Thickness affects timing, so add any extra cooking to the estimate. This method is for shoulder steaks, not a 1kg shoulder joint.

Rest and serve

Rest the pork on a clean warm plate for 5 minutes, loosely covered with foil. Keep the covered apple, onion and light cider sauce off the heat during this short rest, then spoon them over the steaks. Serve with creamy mash and steamed cabbage. This is a sliced steak texture, not the falling-apart result of a long shoulder braise.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is this a shoulder joint recipe?

No. The basket adds two 6oz variants of the pork shoulder steak product, approximately 340g total, for two servings. A whole shoulder joint needs a different method and is not an interchangeable product for these timings.

How much cooking time is included?

The 40-minute cooking budget covers 10 minutes onion and apple, 4 minutes searing, 6 minutes heating the cider base, and 20 minutes in the oven. Add 10 minutes prep and 5 minutes rest for 55 minutes elapsed.

Can I rely on the oven time alone?

No. Check the centre and the thorough-cooking endpoint in the method. Thicker steaks or a cooler oven may need extra time.