Pork With Prunes Recipes

BRAISED PORK WITH PRUNES

Steps:

• Heat the olive oil in a flame-proof casserole pan and cook the pork, turning occasionally, until it is golden brown all over, about 10 mins. You need plenty of space in the pan, so cook in 2 batches if the meat starts to steam. Remove from the pan to a plate. Tip out any burnt bits, then add the butter and cook the onion for 3-5 mins until softened.
• Stir in the flour, then return the pork and juices to the pan. Pour over the wine and enough stock to cover the meat. Bring to the boil, reduce to a simmer, put the lid on and cook for 45 mins, stirring occasionally. Tip in the prunes, top up with stock or water if the meat isn't covered, and cook 45 mins more, uncovered, until really tender. Serve sprinkled with parsley.

PORK LOIN STUFFED WITH PRUNES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Soak prunes in wine, if you wish, for as long as possible. Drain prunes, reserving wine. With a long sharp knife, make a slit in the center of the loin and stuff it with prunes (reserve prunes that won't fit into pork).
• In a large casserole heat butter. When foaming subsides add the onion or leek, celery and carrot. Cover and cook for 5 to 8 minutes or until the vegetables are tender. Remove them with a slotted spoon and reserve for later. Add vegetable oil to the casserole and heat. When hot, add the loin and brown on all sides, including the ends. When pork is browned, remove it to a plate. Discard all fat from the casserole, but leave behind any drippings. Return cooked vegetables to the bottom of the casserole. Add the meat on top and add any prunes which didn't fit into the loin.
• Cover loin with reserved white wine you soaked the prunes in, broth, bay leaf and garlic. Put a lid on casserole and set in oven. Cook for 1 and 1/2 to 2 hours or until pork juices run a clear yellow (difference in time depends on how thick the loin is; internal temp is 165 degrees). Remove casserole from oven and remove the pork and let rest while you make the sauce. Strain the juices into a "degreasing" cup or heat-resistant cup. Discard aromatic vegetables and prunes. The fat will rise above the juices; discard it. Return juices to casserole and boil down until thickened. Finish with a tablespoon of butter or not as you wish. Slice pork into thin slices, serve with saffron rice, sugar snap peas and spoon sauce over the top.

PORK WITH PRUNES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• Pat chops dry and season with salt. Dredge in flour, shaking off excess. Heat oil in a 3 1/2- to 4-quart wide heavy pot over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking. Brown chops in batches, turning over once, about 5 minutes per batch. Transfer to a plate. Add shallot to pot and sauté until golden, 2 to 3 minutes. Add vinegar and boil, scraping up brown bits, until reduced by half. Stir in water, broth, and allspice and bring to a simmer. Return chops to pot with prunes. Braise, covered, in middle of oven until chops are very tender, about 45 minutes. Transfer to a platter using a slotted spoon. Boil sauce until reduced to 1 cup, about 20 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and pour over chops.

BRAISED PORK LOIN WITH PRUNES

Steps:

• Heat 2 tablespoons oil in 5-quart pot over moderate heat until hot but not smoking, then cook onions, garlic, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper, stirring occasionally, until onions are soft and golden, about 20 minutes. Transfer onions to a bowl and reserve pot.
• Simmer prunes and Armagnac in a 1- to 2-quart saucepan 5 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.
• Make a hole for stuffing: Insert a long thin sharp knife into middle of one end toward center of loin, then repeat at opposite end to make an incision that runs lengthwise through roast. Enlarge incision with your fingers, working from both ends, to create a 3/4-inch-wide opening.
• Pack about 20 prunes into pork, pushing from both ends toward center (reserve remaining Armagnac and prunes). Pat pork dry and season with 1/2 teaspoon salt and remaining 1/4 teaspoon pepper.
• Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 375°F.
• Wrap parsley, thyme, sage, bay leaf, peppercorns, and cloves in cheesecloth and tie into a bundle with kitchen string.
• Brush pork with mustard, then evenly coat with brown sugar. Heat remaining 2 tablespoons oil in reserved pot over high heat until hot but not smoking, then brown meat on all sides (not ends), reducing heat if necessary to keep from burning, about 6 minutes total.
• Transfer pork with tongs to a plate, then add white wine and reserved Armagnac (but not prunes) to pot. Bring to a boil, then remove from heat.
• Add broth, onions, and cheesecloth bundle to pot with Armagnac mixture, then add pork with any juices accumulated on plate and turn pork fat side up. Bring to a boil over high heat, covered, then transfer to oven and braise 30 minutes.
• Add remaining prunes and braise until thermometer inserted diagonally 2 inches into meat (avoid stuffing) registers 150°F, about 15 minutes.
• Transfer pork to a cutting board and cut off and discard string, then cover with heavy-duty foil (temperature of pork will rise as it stands).
• While pork stands, skim fat from surface of sauce (if necessary) and remove and discard cheesecloth bundle, then stir in vinegar and remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt and pepper to taste.

PORK CHOPS WITH PRUNES

Steps:

• Trim excess fat from the chops. Mince about one tablespoon of the fat and heat it in a large skillet. Quickly brown the chops on both sides on a high heat in the fat. Remove chops.
• Lower heat and add onion. Saute until tender and lightly browned. Add garlic and ginger and continue to cook, stirring for another minute or two. Add the prunes, brandy and honey. Stir.
• Return the chops to the skillet along with any juices they may have released upon standing. Season with salt and pepper and baste with the sauce. Cover skillet and simmer very gently until the chops are just cooked through, about 20 minutes. Arrange chops on a platter. Taste sauce and adjust seasonings. Spoon sauce over chops and serve.

PAN-FRIED PORK WITH CRèME FRAîCHE & PRUNES

Steps:

• Dust the pork with a little of the seasoned flour. Heat the butter in a large non-stick frying pan, then cook the pork in batches for about 3 mins on each side. Remove from the pan, then add the prunes, brandy, wine, mustard and redcurrant jelly and simmer to reduce the mixture by half.
• Stir in the crème fraîche to make a creamy sauce, season well, then return the pork to the pan to heat through. Serve with tagliatelle and broccoli or a green salad.

PORK WITH PORT AND PRUNES

Steps:

• Combine all dry rub ingredients together and rub meat the night before braising. Refrigerate, covered in plastic wrap, until the next day.
• Preheat the oven to 325°F Heat the oil over high heat in a heavy casserole or Dutch oven just large enough to hold the pork. Brown the pork on all sides, 7 to 8 minutes. Remove and set aside. Pour off all but about 1 tablespoon of the fat from the pot and add the pearl onions, leeks, and carrots. Lower the heat to medium, cover the pot, and cook until the vegetables have softened, about 5 minutes.
• Pour in the port, stock and honey and scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Add the prunes, the optional brandy, and the bay leaves and bring to a boil. Put the pork back in and spoon some of the prunes and vegetables over the top. Cover the pot with foil and fit the lid on tightly.
• Place the pot in the middle of the oven and cook for about 1-1/2 hours, or until the pork is quite tender and registers 160° to 165°F on an instant-read meat thermometer. Remove the pork from the pot and cover loosely to keep warm. The final temperature of the meat after resting for 10 minutes or so may read 170° to 175°F.
• Skim off any fat from the cooking juices. Remove 6 of the prunes and puree them in a food processor or blender. Stir the puree back into the sauce to thicken it. Remove the bay leaves and taste the sauce for salt and pepper. Remove the strings from the pork if necessary, and carve into 1/2-inch slices. Serve with the sauce and prunes and vegetables.

COUNTRY FRENCH PORK WITH PRUNES AND APPLES

Steps:

• Mix flour, herbes de Provence, salt and pepper; rub over pork. In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Brown roast on all sides. Place roast in a 5- or 6-qt. slow cooker. Add onions, apple cider, beef stock and bay leaves., Cook, covered, on low 3 hours. Add apples and dried plums. Cook, covered, on low 1 to 1-1/2 hours longer or until apples and pork are tender. Remove roast, onions, apples and plums to a serving platter, discarding bay leaves; tent with foil. Let stand 15 minutes before slicing.

PORK TENDERLOIN WITH SHALLOTS AND PRUNES

Steps:

• To brine the pork: Dissolve the salt and brown sugar in 2 cups cold water in a glass or stainless steel bowl large enough to hold the tenderloin. Add the allspice, peppercorns, bay leaves and thyme. Submerge the meat, cover and refrigerate at least 8 hours (overnight is better). Before cooking, remove the tenderloin, pat dry and bring to room temperature. Heat the oven to 400 degrees.
• To make the sauce and roast: Simmer the prunes in the red wine until slightly softened, about 5 minutes. Turn off the heat, stir in the ginger and orange zest, and steep for 10 minutes
• Heat the olive oil in a heavy stainless steel skillet over medium-high heat. Lightly brown the tenderloin, about 3 minutes per side. (Turn off heat and use the same pan to make the sauce.) Transfer the tenderloin to a small roasting pan. Roast uncovered for about 15 minutes, until an instant-read thermometer registers 140 degrees. Let rest for 10 minutes before slicing. (Residual heat will cause the meat to continue to cook a bit while resting.)
• To finish the sauce, melt the butter in the reserved skillet over medium heat. Add shallots and thyme, and season lightly with salt and pepper. Cook for about 5 minutes, until softened, stirring with a wooden spoon. Scrape up any browned bits to enrich the sauce. Add chicken broth, turn up the heat, and simmer 2 minutes. Stir in the prunes and wine, and simmer for another 2 minutes. Add the Madeira if using. Taste and correct the seasoning, then add the potato starch mixture and cook for another minute to thicken. Spoon sauce and prunes over the sliced tenderloin.

ROAST LOIN OF PORK, WITH PRUNES

Steps:

• Soak the prunes for one hour in the wine.
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Between each rib of pork make incisions big enough to hold two prunes, but not cutting right through the meat.
• Slice the garlic and place a slice in each incision. Add a pinch of rosemary and pepper.
• Place the loin fat side up on a roasting rack in a baking pan. Roast for 2 hours, or until the meat is cooked, basting frequently. Be careful not to overcook or the pork will become dry.
• Put the roast on a heated serving dish and keep warm. Meanwhile, pour off as much fat as you can from the cooking juices. Place the roasting pan over high heat. Add the wine and scrape up the cooking juices. Season with salt and pepper and pour into a heated sauce boat. Garnish with chopped parsley. Pass the sauce separately.

ROAST PORK WITH PRUNES

Steps:

• Simmer the prunes in one cup wine plus water to cover for 20 minutes, covered. Cool.
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
• Season the pork loin with salt and pepper. Stuff the prunes, thyme and garlic into the pork (you do not need to untie the roast, simply push the prunes inside the openings). Roast the pork on a rack in a covered roasting pan for about two-and-a-half hours, or until the meat is tender. Any leftover prunes can be placed in the bottom of the roasting pan after the meat has cooked for an hour.
• Remove the meat from the pan to a serving dish. Transfer the cooking juices and any loose prunes to a small saucepan. Skim off the excess fat and add the remaining wine and chicken stock. Bring to boil, season to taste and serve in a heated sauceboat.

LOIN OF PORK WITH PRUNES

Steps:

• With a sharp knife, make a deep incision lengthwise along the thickest part of the meat. Spread the meat apart, and stuff the prunes into this opening. Sprinkle lightly with nutmeg, then press the meat together again and tie securely. Rub with the thyme and salt and pepper. Place on a rack in a shallow roasting pan. Roast in a 325°F. oven allowing about 23-25 minutes per pound, until the internal temperature reaches 165°F. when tested with a meat thermometer. Baste often with the pan juices and some of the wine marinade from the prunes. Serve with crisp sautéed potatoes, a good salad and a rosé wine or chilled champagne.