Slow-Cooker Braised Pork With Prunes and Orange

[Celerity]

https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1023960-slow-cooker-braised-pork-with-prunes-and-orange

https://archive.ph/WfquF



This tart-sweet braise is inspired by porc aux pruneaux, a classic French dish, which 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 less expensive way to amplify their mellow sweet-sour flavor. (But by all means, use tawny port instead of the vinegar-sugar combo if you like!) This slow-cooker version employs a quick microwave roux for just a bit of thickening power, and is fragrant with orange zest and tart from a generous amount of sherry vinegar to balance the richness of the pork and dried fruit. Serve pork and sauce over polenta or with seeded bread.



Preparation

Step 1
Put the butter in a microwave-safe bowl or large liquid measuring cup and melt it in the microwave, about 1 minute. Stir in the flour until the mixture looks like cake batter and microwave 15 to 30 seconds, just to warm the flour. Scrape the mixture out into a 6- to 8-quart slow cooker.

Step 2
Whisk ¼ cup of the sherry vinegar and the red wine into the roux in the slow cooker. Stir in the pork, shallots, orange zest, thyme, salt and several generous grinds of black pepper. Cover the slow cooker and set to cook on high for 4 hours.

Step 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.

Step 4
About an hour before the pork is done, using a slotted spoon, add the soaked prunes to the slow cooker, along with about 1½ tablespoons of the soaking liquid. (Discard the remaining liquid or save it for a salad dressing.) Continue to cook until the pork is tender and the flavors are blended. If you would like to reduce the sauce, you can keep the slow cooker on high, remove the lid, and let it bubble for 10 to 20 minutes. Remove and discard the thyme sprigs. Stir in the parsley and serve with chopped orange segments, if desired.

Tip
For extra depth and texture, sear the pork first: Working in batches, sear the meat in a large skillet in two tablespoons of vegetable oil, without disturbing, for 5 minutes. (No need to sear more than one side.) Transfer the pork to the slow cooker; after the second batch, deglaze the pan with the ¼ cup sherry vinegar and ½ cup red wine, stirring to scrape up any browned bits, then scrape the mixture into the slow cooker. Proceed from there as the recipe directs.