Braised pork with Nebbiolo, chestnuts, and apples
Braised meat is one of my favorite main courses because of the slow cooking and the aromas it releases.
I occasionally change the cut of meat; in this case, I used pork loin, a dry cut that doesn’t always work well as a roast because its meat turns out dry and sometimes stringy.
However, braising it results in a tasty and fragrant dish.
Not using wine during meals, after having guests over, I have to somehow use up the bottles of wine left open, in this case, Nebbiolo.
A wine from Piedmont, typical of the Langhe region, suitable for the cool climate and the calcareous soil we have in our land. The grapes have a thin skin, giving the juice a light color.
I used a Nebbiolo, rich in color, with not a very pronounced acidity, ideal for this recipe, because the apples release a bit of acidity, while the chestnuts provide creaminess and sweetness, together creating the right moisture for the braise.
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Medium
- Rest time: 12 Hours
- Preparation time: 1 Hour
- Portions: 6
- Cooking methods: Slow Cooking, Stove
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Fall, Winter
Ingredients
Meat, Nebbiolo, apples, and chestnuts
- 2.2 lbs pork loin
- 4 apples (Delicious or Reinette)
- 1 cup chestnuts, boiled
- 750 ml red wine (Nebbiolo)
- 2 pinches ground cinnamon
- to taste salt
- to taste olive oil
- 1 bunch aromatic herbs (Rosemary, thyme, and sage)
Tools
An oval stainless steel pot, a bowl for marinating the meat.
- Cookware
- Knives
- Oval Plates
Steps
Marinate the meat, roast, braise…
The night before, place the meat in an oval dish and pour in the wine and the aromatic bunch; cover and let marinate in the refrigerator.
In the morning, brown the meat, drained from the wine, in an oval pot, or whatever you prefer, with a little oil, turning it on all sides until it forms a nice color.
Now add the peeled and sliced apples, the chestnuts, the cinnamon, and the wine used for marinating; salt, cover, and start cooking on low heat. It will take about three hours to achieve a good result.
Half an hour before, remove the braised meat and slice it, then return it to the pot in its sauce; the apples and chestnuts will have almost dissolved, giving creaminess.
I served the braised meat with pumpkin with coffee, sesame, and balsamic vinegar…
Ready to serve!
Storing the Braise…
In the refrigerator, sealed in a container, with all its juices; it can also be frozen. This recipe is also excellent with a beef cut, I use beef roast. Served with apple mustard and roasted polenta cut into cubes.
In the refrigerator, sealed in a container, with all its juices; it can also be frozen. This recipe is also excellent with a beef cut, I use beef roast. Served with apple mustard and roasted polenta cut into cubes.
