Braised Pork Fillets With Prunes And Cream Sauce Food

PORK FILLET & PRUNES WITH A CREAMY SAUCE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 180°C (fan 170°C/350°F/gas 4). Trim the pork fillet, removing any fat or sinew from the outside.
• Heat oil and half the butter in a frying pan, add the pork fillet and cook until lightly browned all over. (Retain the cooking oils in the pan.) Remove and place in an oven-proof dish and bake for 15 minutes for medium to well-done or 20 minutes for well-done. Leave in a warm place for 10 minutes before slicing in 2.5cm (1 inch) diagonal wedges. (See notes.)
• For the sauce, reheat the oils in the frying pan and add the remaining butter. Add the onion. And cook over a low heat until softened but now browned. Add the wine, bring to the boil and simmer for 2 minutes. Add the stock, bay leaf and thyme and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes or until reduced by half.
• Strain the stock into a bowl and rinse the frying pan. Return the stock to the pan, add the cream and prunes and simmer for 8 minutes, or until the sauce thickens slightly.
• Serve the slices of pork with the creamy prune sauce over it.

SUCCULENT BRAISED PORK

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Pat the pork dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper.
• In a large Dutch oven, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat, and working in batches brown the meat on all sides until a golden crust forms. Transfer the pork to a plate. To the pan add the onion, celery, and carrot and sweat until softened, 5 to 7 minutes. Add the garlic and sweat another 2 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste and cook for 3 minutes to cook off the raw flavor and caramelize it. Sprinkle with the flour and cook another 2 minutes to cook off its raw flavor. Whisk in the wine and reduce it by half. Return the pork to the Dutch oven, then stir in the beef stock, parsley stems, and bay leaves. Add the water if liquid does not come up to the top of the pork. Do not cover the pork with liquid. Cover the pan and place it in the oven to braise until the meat is fork tender, about 3 hours. Taste and season with more salt and pepper, if needed. Transfer to a serving platter and serve.

BRAISED PORK WITH PRUNES

Steps:

• First of all, fry the pieces of pork in the oil in the frying pan so they brown nicely (you may need to do this in 2 batches) then arrange the pieces in the bottom of the ovenproof dish. Season with salt and freshly milled black pepper and sprinkle over the crushed juniper berries and chopped thyme. Now fry the onions and garlic a little bit (3-4 minutes) in the same pan, and scatter them round the pork with the pieces of prune tucked here and there. Next, arrange the apple slices all over and give them a very slight dusting of caster sugar. Finally, arrange the potato slices on top, making them overlap one another. Season with some more pepper and salt, dot with a few flecks of butter and pour in the cider. Cover the dish with foil and bake for 1½ hours. When the cooking time's up, remove the foil and cook for a further 50 minutes or so - or until the potatoes have turned a lovely golden brown.

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 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.

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.