Braised Pork with Garlic Cloves, Rosemary, and Tomatoes

OHHH tee gee the effing eye eff. 

Sorry.  I'm tired.  

Also I randomly got sick last from heaven knows what and Jay kind of stared at me like I had antlers because he's not exactly naturally nurturing?  We're gonna have to work on that again in case I ever get sick again in our entire lives together. 

Not that I'm feeling like all the burden falls on me to be the caretaker-type or anything.  NOPE. 

Anyway, since it's Friday and maybe you need to feel better too?....I think we should have some comfort food. 

I made this last week for....well, for this blog, and it was eaten by many people at weird times...and it was a HIT.  Super delicious, tender pork braised in white wine and tomatoes with whole garlic cloves that soften and just YES. The flavors in this are really incredible but there AREN'T MANY INGREDIENTS, which is a huge draw for, well, anyone. 

It tastes fancy, it ain't. Winning, huh?

You need pork - any kind you like, really, but a tied piece of loin (or two - you can double the recipe!) is great if you want slices, or a chunk of pork roast/butt/shoulder (all pretty much the same, get boneless if you can) would work great if you want chunks of meat.  You also need fresh or dried red chili (crushed red pepper flakes or one small pepper), garlic, rosemary, white wine, olive oil + salt, diced tomatoes, chicken broth, and onions.  Easy stuff, but WAIT until it all goes together.  You don't even know. 

First, we'll get the pork started.  I brown the outsides before braising this junk.  Preheat the oven to 350F and preheat a large pot with a lid that can go in the oven to medium-high with a drizzle of olive oil.  

If you don't have a pot that can go from stove top to the oven, just transfer everything to a covered casserole dish with a lid before you bake this.  No worries!

So, the pork.  When the oil is really hot, put the pork in the pot and sprinkle it all over with salt.  The pork should sizzle a LOT - if it doesn't, turn the heat up!  Sear the pork on all sides, even the ends! for about 7 minutes per side, until each side is browned and releases easily from the pot.  

If the pork doesn't come off the pan, let it keep browning - it'll release on its own when the outside is fully seared.  Just keep turning the pork every 7-10 minutes while you prep the veggies. 

First, roughly chop the rosemary leaves - strip the leaves away, and run your knife over them a few times until they become small.  If you don't have fresh rosemary use 1 teaspoon of dried and try not to freak out. 

For the rest of the veggies, I like to keep everything kind of chunky.  Peel and halve the onion(s), then cut the onion into 1-inch pieces. 

Then, thinly slice the pepper into little rings if you're using a fresh one. 

For the garlic, lightly crush them with the flat side of a knife or your fist. 

Then remove the peel from the garlic - whole cloves braised in wine and tomatoes is pretty much the best thing ever. 

I use the diced tomatoes but NOT the juice, so open the tomatoes and drain them - reserve the juice for the next time you make spaghetti!

Now, the pork is browned and the veggies are ready, so toss the onions, pepper, garlic, and rosemary in the pot surrounding the pork. 

Then, pour in the wine and the stock!  We want the liquid to come an inch or two up the pork, so add the wine first, then enough stock to make that happen. 

Now, add the tomatoes and we're READY TO BRAISE!   

Cover the pot, and braise in the oven for a long time. Your oven, pot, and pork will determine the braising time.  With this piece of pork, 1.5 pound tied loin, I braised for 2.5 hours or so.  I'd say stick the pot in the oven and check the pork with a fork (rhyme!) every hour - when the pork flakes easily without a knife, it's done. 

If, during the cooking time, you feel that the pot is drying out, add a bit more chicken stock and/or wine to the pot.  Mine didn't need any extra, but yours might.  While braising, prep anything that you'd like to serve with the pork.  Rice, pasta, bread, or anything else you can think of would be delicious.  

The pork is done when it looks like this - see the corner where I did my "testing?"  Not a terrible job, testing braised pork. 

Once out of the oven, let the pork rest for a few minutes before you serve.  If you used a piece of pork roast it will likely fall apart on it's own, but if you had a tied piece of loin, remove the string and cut the pork into slices. 

Serve topped with all the veggies and juices, and WHOA.  Can you even?

You can't, that's what.  The flavors of this are MAGICAL, I tell you.  

Mainly, the tomatoes get super sweet from braising in the wine, and the garlic becomes wonderfully soft and sweet - kind of like roasted garlic but that tastes like tomatoes and wine.  

I serve this over white rice, but serve it however you like!  It keeps really well in the fridge, so if you'd like to make the dish in advance just put the entire pot in the fridge for a few days, then heat it up in the oven or on the stovetop when you're ready to eat. 

Simple, delicious, heavenly. 

Try this soon, and have epic fall weekends, friends!  This is the TIME of year for food like this. 

Recipe

Braised Pork with Garlic Cloves and Rosemary

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Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 1.5 pounds pork - tied loin or roast boneless, trimmed of excess fat
• ¼ cup olive oil
• salt to taste
• 10 cloves garlic peeled
• 2 medium or one large onion cut into 1-inch chunks
• 1 sprig fresh rosemary stripped and chopped (or 1 teaspoon dried rosemary)
• 1 fresh red chili pepper thinly sliced (or ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flake)
• 1 cup dry white wine
• 1-2 cups chicken or vegetable stock
• 20 ounces canned tomatoes drained
• cooked white rice for serving

Instructions

 

• Preheat the oven to 350F and a large ovenproof pot with a lid to medium-high heat with the olive oil.
• When the oil shimmers, sprinkle the pork with salt and sear on all sides, about 7 minutes per side, until browned all over.
• Scatter the onion, garlic, rosemary, and chili around the pork, sprinkle with salt. Add the wine and 1 cup of stock to the pot with the drained tomatoes. The liquid should come about 2 inches up on the pork - add more stock if needed.
• Cover the pot and braise in the oven for 2 - 3 hours, checking every hour or so, until the pork is fork-tender. Add more stock or wine during the braising process if needed.
• Let the pork rest for 5-10 minutes before slicing. Serve with the vegetable mixture and pan juices over white rice.

Notes

• Any kind of pork or roast you like would work well for this - even braised in smaller chunks for faster cooking time!
• If you don't have a dutch oven or other stove-to-oven pot, transfer the mixture from the stovetop to a covered casserole dish for braising.

Nutrition

Serving: 4g

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Shared with my peeps at Weekend Potluck – my fav part of the week!