Pot-roasted pork with root vegetables and apples

Butter	2 tablespoons
Bacon, finely chopped	5 stripes
Onions, quartered	2
Carrots, coarsely chopped	3
Parsnips, coarsely chopped	3
Garlic cloves, smashed	6
Pork leg or shoulder roast	2 pounds
Salt
Pepper, freshly ground
Apple juice or cider	2 cups
Apples, peeled, cored, coarsely chopped	2

1. Preheat oven to 400°F.
2. Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat.
3. Add bacon, and cook for 10 to 12 minutes, stirring frequently, until well browned.
4. Remove bacon from the skillet with a slotted spoon, and transfer it to a baking dish large enough to hold the roast, with room to spare.
5. Place onions, carrots, parsnips, and garlic into the skillet with the remaining butter and bacon grease, and cook for 12 to 14 minutes, stirring frequently, or until well browned.
6. Remove the vegetables from the skillet with a slotted spoon, and transfer to the baking dish, stirring to mix with the bacon.
7. Remove the twine from the pork, and season it generously with salt and pepper.
8. Place the pork in the same skillet, raise heat to high, and cook, adding more butter if necessary, for 4 to 6 minutes, turning frequently, until browned on all sides.
9. Transfer the pork to the baking dish.
10. Deglaze the skillet with the apple juice, letting it boil for 3 to 4 minutes to reduce slightly.
11. Place the apples in the baking dish around the pork.
12. Drizzle the reduced apple juice over the top.
13. Roast in the oven for about 20 minutes.
14. Reduce heat to 275°F, cover the dish, and roast for about 1 hour more, or until the meat is tender.
15. Remove the meat from the dish, let sit for 5 minutes, and then carve.

Recipe from The Country Cooking of Ireland by Colman Andrews.