Wednesday, September 17, 2008

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.

15 comments:

Laura said...

It's braised, it's pork, and it has fruit in it. 'Nuff said. :) I love that combo.

Anonymous said...

I love braised pork. I think people should eat it year round. Also, I bet the leftovers would make good sandwiches.

Sharon said...

I don't believe I've ever had quince, but I'm quite intrigued now. The pork looks nice and tender!

Jersey Girl Cooks said...

I love quinces but havenever cooked with them. This sounds good. Thanks for stopping by my blog!

Anonymous said...

I'm all about braises, now that I finally have a slow cooker! Pork seems to love simmering in big flavors, I'm sure this must have been well worth the wait!

Shandy said...

What a great idea! Braising is a great method for cooking meat and I used to see this word and run the other way =). I happen to also immensely enjoy the Bon Appetit and I love that you tried this recipe and I was curious about the flavor combo myself. I know it has to taste fantastic! Yum =D

L Vanel said...

Mmm, thank you for giving me another great use for quince in this nice slow autumn dish.

Katie Zeller said...

We had a quince tree in our garden in Andorra and I never had a clue what to do with them... Which didn't really matter as the locals would come in the night and pick them all before I ever had a chance...
The pork looks delicious... I think I have a roast in the freezer that's calling me...

Helene said...

I love quinces! Can't get enough of them...and to combine them with pork...tasty!! Lovely lovely dish!

Proud Italian Cook said...

I've never cooked with quince, but I can see how great it would go with the pork! Such a good combo together! Nice blog you have here. Great picture of you and Michael C.! Thanks for stopping by my blog too!

La Cuisine d'Helene said...

I love pork shoulder. The meat is so tasty. I never cooked with quince before. You did well.

Rosa's Yummy Yums said...

I love that delicious combo! Yummy! Every year, I make a Greek stew with quinces and pork and we always have much pleasure eating it!

Cheers,

Rosa

alexandra's kitchen said...

I love quince, too. there's something magical about the way they transform once cooked. I have thus far only experimented with recipes, as you mention, with lots of sugar, like quince jam and paste. This pork sounds lovely!

Jenny said...

Mmmmm,
What a perfect looking dinner. I'm in!

KristiB said...

Pork and fruit! YUM!

I've never cooked with quince. I think I need o remedy that!