Porc aux Pruneaux
Autumn on a plate.
by Erin Henderson
The fall snap came quickly to Ontario this year, plunging Toronto, where I live, into sweater weather for an unseasonably chilly few days. The cold plunge was an absolute offense to the summer obsessives who shake their fists and defiantly crow, "it's still summer for three more weeks!" at everyone sipping a PSL.
Me? I'm a lover, not a fighter, and I know who will win the battle between Mother Nature and me. So, I go with the flow, and break out the Dutch oven for a dinner full of cozy.
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Porc aux pruneaux has become a family favourite for weekend meals. It's deliciously gratifying and, while this isn't the driving factor, pork is considerably cheaper than other meats these days, which makes it affordable to feed our gang of five to eight people, depending on who's in for dinner.
This also makes a stress-free meal for company. It can easily be made a day ahead, just return the port and the sauce to the pot and reheat in a low oven.
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Porc aux Pruneaux
This recipe heavily borrows from Audrey Le Goff, the author of the dreamy cooking blog, Pardon Your French.
Most French recipes call for the pork to be cubed, and served like a stew; that’s not my preference. I like the regality of the presentation of a whole roast, and Audrey's idea of the leaner pork loin, over other recommendations for rich shoulder or belly.
Makes: Estimate ½ - ¾ lb per person (We found that a six-pound loin was plenty for eight hungry people.)
Chef level: easy
Special equipment: digital thermometer (I really have to insist here.)
Ingredients:
- 12-15 pitted prunes
- ~1 cup rum, or brandy, for soaking
- 6 lb boneless pork loin, tied for even cooking (make sure this is NOT a tenderloin)
- Salt and pepper
- ~¼ cup vegetable oil, for searing
- 1 cup lardon
- 3 cups onion, sliced
- 2 cups dry white wine, such as Pinot Grigio
- 2 cups chicken stock
- 2 large rosemary sprigs, washed and left whole
- 2 Tbsp butter
- 2 Tbsp Sherry vinegar
How to Make It:
- Soak the prunes in the brandy or rum for about an hour while you prep the rest of the ingredients.
- Bring the pork out of the fridge about 90 minutes before cooking to bring it to room temperature.
- Dry the pork well and cover all sides with salt and pepper.
- Set the oven to 375°F.
- In a Dutch oven, warm the oil over medium heat on the stove top.
- Sear the pork loin on all sides, about 3 minutes per side, until a crust the colour of light rum forms.
- Remove the pork from the pot and set aside.
- Drain fat from the pot leaving only one Tablespoon. Reserve the fat for another use.
- Add the lardons to the hot oil, cooking a few minutes until soft, but not crispy, then add the onions and cook, stirring as needed and scrapping up the cooked on bits on the bottom of the pan, until the onion in soft and translucent.
- Pour in the white wine and bring to a boil, cooking for 2-3 minutes to reduce slightly; add in the chicken stock and continue to boil another few minutes to reduce by about half.
- Add the rosemary sprigs to the pot and carefull return the pork loin, being careful of splashing. Insert the thermometer in the thick centre of the loin, and cover with a lid. (If the pork is too high, just cover tightly with foil, that’s fine too.)
- Place the pot in the oven and roast until the temperature reaches 135°F* (about an hour, but rely on the temperature not the timing.)
- Take the pan from the oven, remove the pork allow it to rest, covered with foil, for 15 minutes.
- Drain the prunes from the alcohol, reserve the alcohol for another use (it makes a decadent base for a French 75) and add the prunes to the pot.
- Bring the liquid in the pot to a simmer on the stove and reduce and thicken to your liking, about 5-10 minutes.
- Add the sherry vinegar to taste and when ready, slice the pork and serve with the sauce.
*NB
Pork is cooked at 145°F; it will continue to cook while resting outside the oven, so if you leave the pork in the oven until 145°F, it will dry out while resting. Not good.
Wine Pairing
Classically, Pinot Gris or Riesling is a traditional pairing. But when the damp chill of fall sets in, I prefer a fruity red to compliment this dish.
Cahors, a Malbec from the southwest of France, with flavours of plums and earth makes for a compelling match. Historically Cahors was quite animalistic and almost unapproachable, but modern winemaking has smoothed out the rustic wine for a far more fruity and approachable profile.