Red wine, bay and peppercorn braised pork
Prep time: 20 minsTotal time: 
Red wine, bay and peppercorn braised pork
Red wine is often used as a braise for beef, but we’re switching it up and using tender pork shoulder. Let it slowly cook on a rainy Sunday afternoon with a glass of red in hand
Prep time: 20 minsTotal time: 
Spencer Lengsfield
Spencer Lengsfield
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp black peppercorns
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1.3-1.5kg Boston butt pork shoulder
- 1 tbsp plain flour
- 3 medium echalion shallots, halved lengthways
- 6 garlic cloves, peeled
- 1 tbsp tomato purée
- 350ml red wine
- 500ml chicken stock
- 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 3 dried bay leaves
- 30g cold unsalted butter, diced
Step by step
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Preheat the oven to 170°C, fan 150°C, gas 3½. Start by toasting the peppercorns in a large lidded flameproof casserole over a medium heat for a few minutes until fragrant. Remove from the pan and set aside. Add the oil to the pan and turn the heat up to medium-high. Dust the pork joint with flour and seasoning, then add to the pan. Brown for a few minutes on all sides until a deep golden brown. This should take around 10 minutes in total. Remove from the pan and set aside.
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Add the shallots and whole garlic cloves and cook in the rendered pork fat until lightly charred all over, around 2-3 minutes. Add the tomato purée and cook for a further 2 minutes until slightly deepened in colour. Turn down the heat to low and deglaze with the red wine, scraping everything up from the bottom of the pan. Return the pork to the pan, then top up with chicken stock. Add the Worcestershire sauce, balsamic vinegar, peppercorns and bay leaves. The stock should reach around two-thirds of the way up the joint. Season well, stir, then put the lid on, leaving a small gap, and transfer to the oven for 3½ hours.
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When done, the pork should be very tender. Remove from the braising liquid, along with the shallots and garlic, and let rest on a tray for 10 minutes. Scoop out the bay leaves and peppercorns and discard.
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Meanwhile, place the casserole on the hob over a high heat and cook until the liquid is reduced by a third. Turn off the heat and whisk in the cold butter until emulsified. Gently pull apart the pork into large pieces and return to the reduced braising liquid. Serve with extra black pepper.
