Braised pork shoulder with quince

As I’ve mentioned before, I enjoy cooking with quinces. To date, I’ve only made recipes that combine quinces with lots of sugar. When I picked up the latest issue of Bon Appetit and saw this recipe for braised pork shoulder with quince, I decided it was time to see how a savory recipe would fare.

This recipe requires some advance planning. The pork is seasoned with a spice blend and needs to sit in the fridge overnight. After the meat is braised, it sits in the fridge for at least another day. The pork is combined with sautéed onions, carrots, celery and quince and braised in a mixture of pomegranate juice and chicken stock. The recipe also calls for red currant jam to add a touch of sweetness. I didn’t feel like buying a jar of jam, so I used equal parts of pomegranate molasses and honey instead.

After about two and a half hours in the oven, the pork was meltingly tender. I removed the quince and vegetables from the braising liquid and strained the liquid into a fat separator. I reduced the braising liquid by about half to make a syrupy sauce for the pork. Quinces are notoriously astringent when raw, which is why they’re mostly used in sweet recipes. The quinces took on a slightly sweet flavor which was a pleasant addition to the dish. Most braises don’t photograph well, and this is no exception. However, this dish definitely makes up for its looks in flavor.