Braised Pork with Prunes and Orange

This is a rich and flavorful slow cooker recipe. The tart-sweet braise is inspired by a classic French dish that usually involves soaking prunes in tawny port before adding them to a sauce for pork. Here, the prunes are soaked in a mix of vinegar and brown sugar, a more economical way to amplify their mellow sweet-sour flavor. This one-pot version is fragrant with orange and contains a tangy sherry vinegar to balance the richness of the pork and dried fruit. Serve this dish with slimmed down mashed potatoes or crusty whole wheat sourdough bread. Pork shoulder is a good source of protein when eaten in moderation. Prunes and oranges both offer antioxidants and vitamin C.  

Makes: 6-8 servings
Time to Cook:  2¾ hours

Ingredients

· 3 pounds boneless, skinless pork shoulder, fat trimmed, cut into 2- to 3-inch chunks

· 1 tablespoon kosher salt, plus more for seasoning

· Black pepper

· 2 tablespoons unsalted butter

· 2 tablespoons vegetable oil

· 2 large shallots, chopped

· 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

· ½ cup sherry vinegar

· ½ cup dry red wine

· 1½ cups chicken broth

· 2 sprigs fresh thyme or 1 teaspoon dried thyme

· 1 orange, for 2 (3- to 4-inch) strips orange zest plus peeled, chopped orange segments, for topping, optional

· 1½ tablespoons packed light brown sugar

· 5½ ounces prunes (about 1 cup)

· ⅓ cup chopped parsley

Cooking Instructions

1. Heat the oven to 325 degrees. Season the pork all over with the salt and several generous grinds of black pepper. Melt the butter with the oil in a large Dutch oven over high heat. Add half the pork chunks, spread them out, and let them brown on one side without moving them for 5 minutes. (If the pan starts to burn, reduce the heat to medium-high.) Remove the pork to a plate and repeat with the remaining pork. (You can sear the pork on more than one side but doing it on one side saves time and is enough to build flavor and texture.)

2. Reduce the heat to medium and add the shallots. Cook, stirring, until softened, about 2 minutes. Add the flour and cook, stirring, to evenly combine, about 1 minute. Add ¼ cup of the sherry vinegar and the red wine; bring to a simmer, scraping up any bits at the bottom of the pan. Add the chicken broth, thyme and orange zest strips. Season with a generous pinch of salt. Stir in the pork and any juices on the plate. Bring to a boil, then cover the pot and braise in the oven for 1 hour and 30 minutes.

3. Meanwhile stir together the remaining ¼ cup sherry vinegar, the brown sugar and a pinch of salt in a medium bowl. Stir in the prunes and set aside.

4. Uncover the pork and add the prunes and their soaking liquid. Let the dish cook another 40 to 50 minutes, until the pork is very tender and the sauce is reduced and thickened. Remove and discard the thyme sprigs, then stir in the parsley. Serve topped with chopped orange segments, if desired.

Nutrition per serving
580 calories; 32 grams protein; 38 grams fat; 13 grams saturated fat; 17 grams monounsaturated fat; 4 grams polyunsaturated fat; 26 grams carbohydrates; 3 grams dietary fiber; 15 grams sugar; 741 milligrams sodium

Recipe from Sarah DiGregorio, NY Times Cooking

‍