Plum Pork Recipes

BRAISED PORK WITH PLUMS

Steps:

• Cut the pork into big pieces about the length of your thumb and twice as wide. Put into a bowl or food bag, and add the wine, soy sauces, half the ginger, half the garlic and half the chilli. Marinate for at least 1 hr or up to 24 hrs.
• Heat oven to 160C/140C fan/gas 3, then heat the oil in a large casserole. Tip in half the spring onions, remaining ginger and garlic, the star anise, five-spice powder and cinnamon. Fry gently until fragrant and soft. Stir in the sugar, turn up the heat, then lift the pork from the marinade and turn in the oniony mix for about 3 mins until the meat is just sealed but not browned. Tip in the marinade, tomato purée and stock, give it a stir, cover, then braise in the oven for 2 hrs.
• After the first hr is up, add the plums to the pan. Take the lid off and carry on the cooking, uncovered. The meat should be completely tender, turning golden brown where it breaks the surface of the sauce. Spoon off any excess fat from the surface, then scoop the meat and plums carefully from the pan with a slotted spoon. Turn up the heat and boil the sauce for 5-10 mins until reduced and slightly syrupy. Return everything to the pan, gently warm through, then scatter the rest of the spring onions over the top to serve.

ROASTED PORK TENDERLOIN WITH FRESH PLUM SAUCE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Generously season pork tenderloin with salt and black pepper.
• Heat oil in a large, oven-proof skillet over medium-high heat. Cook tenderloin until browned on all sides, 2 to 4 minutes per side. Transfer tenderloin to a plate.
• Saute onion with a pinch of salt in the same skillet until just softening, 3 to 5 minutes. Add shallots, reduce heat to medium, and cook and stir until shallots and onion are golden brown and caramelized, about 10 minutes.
• Stir thyme into onion mixture; place tenderloin over onion mixture, and set plum quarters, skin-side down, around pork tenderloin. Transfer skillet to preheated oven.
• Cook until pork is slightly pink in the center, about 20 minutes. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the center should read at least 145 degrees F (63 degrees C). Transfer pork and plums to a plate.
• Place skillet over medium-high heat and pour water and balsamic vinegar into onion mixture. Bring mixture to a boil while scraping the browned bits of food off of the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. Cook and stir until liquid is reduced by half, 5 to 10 minutes; remove from heat. Whisk butter into mixture until melted and sauce is shiny. Pour sauce over pork and plums.

SAUTEED PORK AND PLUMS

Steps:

• Season pork with salt. Brown pork in oil and butter over medium-high heat, and remove. Saute plums and onion over medium heat. Add vinegar, and stir until bubbling. Return pork to pan, and toss.

BOURBON AND DRIED PLUM STUFFED PORK LOIN

Steps:

• For the filling: Combine the bourbon and dried plums in a small bowl and set aside.
• Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a large saute pan. Add the onions and some salt and pepper to taste; cook, stirring, over medium heat until very tender but not browned, about 8 minutes. Stir in the garlic powder, rosemary and cumin and cook 30 seconds more.
• Remove the pan from the heat and add the dried plums and bourbon. Carefully return the pan to the heat and cook until reduced by half. Stir in the remaining tablespoon butter. Remove the pan from the heat and add the breadcrumbs. Stir well to incorporate, then set aside to cool to room temperature.
• For the pork loin: Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Combine the olive oil, garlic powder, rosemary, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper in a small bowl and mix well to combine. Rub the mixture all over the pork loin and place on a cutting board with the fat side facing up. Starting on one side of the loin, insert a paring knife or thin fillet knife through the cut side of the loin toward the center of the meat, keeping both your knife and the meat centered. (You are trying to create a hole through the center of the loin while keeping the entire roast intact, like a tunnel.) If your knife is not long enough to reach all the way through the loin, make the same cut from the opposite end of the loin to connect the two cuts.
• Lay a sheet of plastic wrap out on the cutting board. Arrange the stuffing in the center of the plastic wrap. Shape the stuffing so that it lays in a narrow rectangle, the same length as the pork loin. Tightly wrap the stuffing in the plastic wrap, maintaining the shape. Twist the ends of the plastic wrap to tighten the shape and tie a knot at each end as close to the stuffing as possible.
• Insert a metal skewer with a looped end through the hole in the pork loin. Tie one end of the plastic wrap around the loop and use it to pull the stuffing into the center of the pork loin.
• When the stuffing is centered, cut the knot off one end of the plastic wrap. Pull the plastic wrap from the other end while squeezing to extract the stuffing. As you pinch and pull, the plastic wrap should come out, leaving the stuffing behind inside the pork loin.
• Line a baking sheet with foil and place the pork loin fat-side down on top. Roast the pork loin, 25 minutes. Flip the pork loin so that the fat side is now facing up. Cook until a thermometer inserted into the center of the pork loin registers 140 degrees F, about 20 minutes more. Transfer the pork loin to a rack to rest. (The internal temperature should reach a minimum of 145 degrees F as it rests.)
• Slice into 1/2-inch thick and drizzle with good-quality olive oil before serving.

PLUM-GOOD PORK CHOPS

Steps:

• In a large skillet, brown chops in oil. Combine the plum sauce, orange juice, soy sauce, garlic, mustard, ginger and pepper; pour over chops. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 15-20 minutes or until tender. Remove pork chops and keep warm. Set aside 1/2 cup sauce mixture., In the same skillet, cook the coleslaw mix, carrot and onions over medium heat until crisp-tender. Serve with pork chops; drizzle with reserved sauce and sprinkle with sesame seeds.

PLUM PORK SPICY MEATBALLS WITH BOK CHOY AND ZUCCHINI

Steps:

• Whisk together first 5 ingredients. Reserve 1-1/4 cups for sauce. Pour remaining mixture into a large bowl; add egg and 1/2 cup bread crumbs. Add pork; mix lightly but thoroughly. Shape into 16 balls. Place remaining 1 cup bread crumbs in a shallow bowl. Roll meatballs in bread crumbs to coat., In a large skillet, heat 3 tablespoons oil over medium heat. In batches, cook meatballs until cooked through, turning occasionally. Remove and keep warm. Heat remaining 1 tablespoon oil in the same skillet. Add zucchini and bok choy; cook and stir over medium-high heat until crisp-tender, 6-8 minutes. Add meatballs and reserved sauce; heat through. If desired, sprinkle with sesame seeds.