Braised Pork Butt with Port and Prunes

Port in the fridge and pork on the brain, I remembered seeing this recipe right next to that of the California Beef Stew with Zinfandel in an old edition of Costco Connection. Loving Aidells and braised pork as much as I do, there was no hesitation on my part to round up the goods to make this dish.

While I didn't spring for the optional alcohols such as Armagnac, there were no regrets about giving this a go.

Braised Pork Butt with Port and Prunes

adapted from Costco Connection Creative Cooking, Feb 2011
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HERB AND MUSTARD RUB FOR PORK

1 tsp dried sage

1 tsp dried thyme

1 tsp dry mustard, preferably Colman's

2 tsp salt

1 tsp freshly ground black pepper

4 lbs boneless pork shoulder butt, trimmed of most external fat

2 tbsp olive oil

1 c finely chopped, well-washed leeks, white part only

1/2 c finely chopped carrots

14-oz pearl onions, frozen and partially defrosted

2 bay leaves

1 c port

1/2 c low-salt chicken stock

1 c pitted prunes

salt

pepper

Combine all the herbs and spices in a small bowl.

Rub generously all over the meat.


Preheat the oven to 325°F.

Heat the oil over high heat in a heavy casserole or Dutch oven just large enough to hold the pork. Brown the meat on all sides, 7 to 12 minutes. Remove it and set aside.



Pour off all but about 1 tbsp of the fat from the pot and add the pearl onions, leeks, and carrots.


Lower the heat to medium, cover the pot, and cook until the vegetables have softened, about 5 minutes.

Pour in the port and stock and scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot.


Add the prunes, the optional brandy, and the bay leaves and bring to a boil.

Put the pork back in and spoon some of the prunes and vegetables over the top.


Cover the pot with a tight-fitting lid. Place the pot in the middle of the oven and cook for about 1-1/2 hours, or until the pork is quite tender and registers 160° to 165°F on an instant-read meat thermometer.

Remove the pork from the pot and cover loosely to keep warm. The final temperature of the meat after resting for 10 minutes or so may read 170° to 175°F.

Skim off any fat from the cooking juices.

Remove 6 of the prunes and puree them in a food processor or blender.

Stir the puree back into the sauce to thicken it.

Remove the bay leaves and taste the sauce for salt and pepper. Remove the strings from the pork if necessary and carve into 1/2-inch-thick slices.

Serve with the sauce and prunes and vegetables.

The more Aidells recipes I try, the more I'm convinced he can do no wrong. Most definitely a keeper, my intention is to do this again and next time, I'll be sure to pick up the Armagnac as it will certainly be a fantastic touch.

Minimal prep work and maximum flavor -- the sauce, the sauce! I can't believe it, but I think it's better than the Tomato and Fennel sauce I recently raved about. I mean, onions and carrots are no brainers, prunes are great, but combined with port and tender, simply succulent pork, the flavors are out of this world! You gotta try this, what might very well be the best pork I've ever had in my life! Could I use any more exclamation points?!

Make it for yourself, make it for guests, you'll be a hero. Make sure to have some crusty bread on hand to sop up every last bit of the sauce -- it's divine!

Oh and you know what, this would be perfect if you have any guests who are allergic to tomatoes. It seems tomatoes are in everything, especially a lot of stews and braises, so keep this in mind.

Cost:

• pork shoulder butt roast: $8.90
• leeks: $1.29
• carrots: $0.25
• pearl onions: $2.49
• port: $2.40
• chicken stock: $0.08
• prunes: $1.25

TOTAL: $16.66 or $2.08 for each of eight servings. It doesn't even cost a fortune!

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