Braised Pork with Cherry Gravy

Picture found on foodandwine.com

This dish would be my first try at an overnight marinade dish and all I have to say is "wow." The pork was so tender you could cut through it with a fork, that is the way pork is meant to be. The flavor is delicious. This dish is worth the effort to make. Both of my children loved it. Recipe by Michel Nischan and found in the February 2012 issue of Food and Wine magazine.

4 pounds boneless pork shoulder, tied

Salt and freshly ground pepper

5 tbs vegetable oil

6 celery ribs, coarsely chopped

2 carrots, coarsely chopped

3 large onions, coarsely chopped

¼ cup tomato paste

1 cup dry red wine

6 cups chicken stock or broth

1 cup dried sour cherries

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Season the pork with salt and pepper. In a large Dutch oven, brown the pork in 2 tbs oil. Remove the pork; pour off the fat. Add 2 tbs of the oil to the pot. Add the celery, carrots, and 2 onions and cook over moderate heat until golden, 15 minutes. Add the tomato paste, wine, and stock; bring to a boil. Add the pork and cherries, cover and braise in the oven for 4 hours. Cool, refrigerate overnight.

The next day, skim the fat from the liquid and remove the pork. Boil the gravy until reduced to 1 ½ cups, 26 minutes. Strain the gravy into a saucepan and season with salt and pepper. Untie the pork and slice into 6 medallions.

In nonstick skillet, heat 1 tbs oil, add the pork and brown well. Serve with the gravy.

Wine pairing: Tart cherry-scented, medium bodied such as Chianti: 2009 Selvapiana.