Braised Pork with Pearl Onions and Grapes
- One 2-pound boneless rib-end pork loin roast
- Salt and freshly ground pepper
- 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, 2 tablespoons softened
- 1/2 cup dry white wine
- 2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 thyme sprig plus 1 teaspoon chopped thyme
- 1/2 small yellow onion, coarsely chopped
- 3/4 pound pearl onions
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1/2 pound red and green grapes
- Season the pork with salt and pepper.
- In a small enameled cast-iron casserole, melt 2 tablespoons of the butter.
- Add the pork and brown well over moderately high heat, 10 minutes; transfer to a plate.
- Pour off the fat from the casserole.
- Add the wine and boil over high heat, scraping up the browned bits, until reduced by half, 3 minutes.
- Add the broth and bring to a boil.
- Add the garlic, bay leaf, thyme sprig, yellow onion and the pork.
- Cover and simmer over very low heat, turning once, until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the center registers 160, about 1 hour.
- Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan of water, boil the pearl onions until almost tender, 5 minutes; drain and peel.
- In a bowl, blend the 2 tablespoons of softened butter with the flour to form a paste.
- Transfer the pork to a plate.
- Strain the cooking liquid and return to the casserole; boil until reduced to 2 cups, 4 minutes.
- Whisk 1/2 cup of the cooking liquid into the flour paste until smooth, then whisk the mixture into the cooking liquid.
- Simmer over moderately high heat, whisking, until thickened.
- Simmer over low heat, stirring, until no floury taste remains, 5 minutes.
- Stir in the chopped thyme and season with salt and pepper.
- Return the pork and its juices to the casserole and add the pearl onions.
- Cover and bring just to a simmer, turning the pork a few times in the sauce to heat it up.
- In a skillet, melt the remaining 1 tablespoon of butter.
- Add the grapes and cook over moderately high heat, shaking the skillet, until the skins start to burst.
- Thickly slice the pork and transfer to plates.
- Spoon the sauce, pearl onions and grapes on top; serve.
pork loin roast, salt, unsalted butter, white wine, chicken broth, garlic, bay leaf, thyme, yellow onion, pearl onions, flour, red
Taken from www.foodandwine.com/recipes/braised-pork-pearl-onions-and-grapes (may not work)