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Roast pork with plums (maiale e prugna)

Name: Roast pork with plum sauce (maiale e prugna) recipe
Yield: 4
Ingredients: 80ml white wine; 1 garlic clove; 1 sprig rosemary; 1kg rindless pork loin; 40.00 ml extra virgin olive oil; Mashed potatoes (optional), to serve; 1 eschalot, finely chopped; 4 (360g total) blood plums, halved, stones removed, cut into 1cm pieces; 125ml red wine; 20.00 ml caster sugar; 30g butter; 1 tsp thyme leaves, plus extra sprigs, to serve

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by Paolo Picarazzi

CHEF

Mar 17, 2024

"Before all the vineyards were planted, this was an orchard region. We source some of our stone fruit from a farm that’s at least 150 years old. Blood plums are best for this recipe, however, you can substitute other plums if blood plums are unavailable. The colour of the sauce will be slightly different." – Paolo Picarazzi

1/3 cup (80ml) white wine
1 garlic clove
1 sprig rosemary
1kg rindless pork loin
1 tbs extra virgin olive oil
Mashed potatoes (optional), to serve

Plum sauce

1 tbs extra virgin olive oil
1 eschalot, finely chopped
4 (360g total) blood plums, halved, stones removed, cut into 1cm pieces
1/2 cup (125ml) red wine
1 tbs caster sugar
30g butter
1 tsp thyme leaves, plus extra sprigs, to serve

Method

1.

Preheat oven to 160°C/140°C fan-forced. Place the wine, garlic, rosemary and 1/4 cup (60ml) water in a small deep baking tray that fits the pork loin.
2.

Tie pork at 2cm intervals with kitchen string to form a compact cylinder. Season. Heat the oil in a medium frypan over medium-high heat. Add pork loin and cook for about 10 minutes, rolling loin as you go until well browned all over. Transfer to the baking dish and cover tightly with foil. Roast for 50 minutes-1 hour. If you have a meat thermometer, the pork is done when the thermometer inserted in the centre of the loin reads 63°C (the old-fashioned way is to use a wooden skewer – place it in the middle of the pork loin; if you can push it all the way down to the centre comfortably, the meat is done).
3.

For the sauce, heat oil in a medium frypan over medium heat. Cook eschalot, stirring occasionally, for 3-4 minutes until golden. Add plums and cook on medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, for 8 minutes or until plums have broken down completely (cooking time will depend on ripeness of plums). Add red wine and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Simmer, stirring occasionally, for 6 minutes or until mixture thickens. Add sugar and butter and stir until combined. Remove from heat. Season with 1 1/2 tsp salt flakes and add thyme. Set aside for flavours to develop.
4.

Transfer pork to a plate or clean tray and stand, loosely covered with foil, for at least 15-20 minutes before serving. Place pork on a board (reserve cooking juices), remove string and slice into 1cm-thick slices. Transfer to a serving plate. Drizzle with cooking juices and spoon over plum sauce. Serve sprinkled with extra thyme and with mashed potatoes, if desired.