Braised Pork With Prunes and Orange 

By Sarah DiGregorio

Updated Feb. 23, 2023

Braised Pork With Prunes and Orange 
Armando Rafael for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.
Total Time
2¾ hours
Rating
5(764)
Comments
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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 more economical 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 one-pot version is fragrant with orange and contains an assertive amount of sherry vinegar to balance the richness of the pork and dried fruit. Serve the pork and sauce over polenta or with seeded bread. 

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Ingredients

Yield:6 to 8 servings
  • 3pounds boneless, skinless pork shoulder, fat trimmed, cut into 2- to 3-inch chunks 
  • 1tablespoon kosher salt, plus more for seasoning 
  • Black pepper
  • 2tablespoons unsalted butter 
  • 2tablespoons vegetable oil 
  • 2large shallots, chopped 
  • 2tablespoons all-purpose flour 
  • ½cup sherry vinegar 
  • ½cup dry red wine
  • 1½cups chicken broth 
  • 2sprigs fresh thyme or 1 teaspoon dried thyme 
  • 1orange, for 2 (3- to 4-inch) strips orange zest plus peeled, chopped orange segments, for topping, optional 
  • 1½tablespoons packed light brown sugar   
  • 5½ounces prunes (about 1 cup)
  • ⅓cup chopped parsley
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (8 servings)

584 calories; 38 grams fat; 13 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 17 grams monounsaturated fat; 4 grams polyunsaturated fat; 26 grams carbohydrates; 3 grams dietary fiber; 15 grams sugars; 32 grams protein; 741 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Heat the oven to 325 degrees. Season the pork all over with the salt and several generous grinds of black pepper. Melt the butter with the oil in a large Dutch oven over high heat. Add half the pork chunks, spread them out, and let them brown on one side without moving them for 5 minutes. (If the pan starts to burn, reduce the heat to medium-high.) Remove the pork to a plate and repeat with the remaining pork. (You can sear the pork on more than one side, but doing it on one side saves time and is enough to build flavor and texture.)

  2. Step 2

    Reduce the heat to medium and add the shallots. Cook, stirring, until softened, about 2 minutes. Add the flour and cook, stirring, to evenly combine, about 1 minute. Add ¼ cup of the sherry vinegar and the red wine; bring to a simmer, scraping up any bits at the bottom of the pan. Add the chicken broth, thyme and orange zest strips. Season with a generous pinch of salt. Stir in the pork and any juices on the plate. Bring to a boil, then cover the pot and braise in the oven for 1 hour and 30 minutes.

  3. 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.

  4. Step 4

    Uncover the pork and add the prunes and their soaking liquid. Let the dish cook another 40 to 50 minutes, until the pork is very tender and the sauce is reduced and thickened. Remove and discard the thyme sprigs, then stir in the parsley. Serve topped with chopped orange segments, if desired.

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Ratings

5 out of 5
764 user ratings
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Comments

Shazziz

All due respect Mary Ellen Marte - that’s not the recipe. Not even a little. I made the recipe and it’s incredible. I doubled the orange zest and threw in a few more prunes. I ran out of sherry vinegar so I subbed with more red wine. Incredibly delicious dish on a cold February night! Let that meat really braise - I added more time on the end after adding prunes- so good!

Mark Wayne John Son

Here's what I do: instead of pork, I used alligator meat I have on hand. Instead of a dutch oven, I used a pizza oven that's powered by the waterfall in the backyard. I soaked the dried shrooms and foraged leaves on my hikes in curry-spiced moonshines. I seasoned everything with spices from every country I've been to and tree barks from the local park. Yasss!

Oscar

Step 3: what if you soaked the prunes in port wine? Still need brown sugar and sherry vinegar?

k

It was enjoyed by all, but far sweeter than I prefer. The pork was a bit dry. If the idea of sweet pork is appealing, don't let my review dissuade you, but spend some time checking the meet to make sure its coverd in sauce while cooking.

Karen Ellery Jones

I made this last night for a small dinner party and it was absolutely terrific! I love Dutch Oven meals-especially when entertaining. Like many other people, I added more orange zest and when I plated the meal I showed with zest and a quick squeeze of juice. I served it with mashed spuds with a hint of nutmeg and roasted carrots. A winner!!!

srfrail

Absolutely delicious. The only changes I made were soaking the prunes in port instead of sugar/vinegar solution and used blood oranges. Definitely a keeper.

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