Pork with quince is a dish for chilly autumn evenings. Quince is hard and astringent, so it is rarely eaten raw, but in a roast with meat this fragrant fruit reveals a sweet-and-sour flavour.

The recipe was shared by food writer Iryna Chornii on her blog European Cuisine with Iryna Chornii.

The author advises washing the quince well before cooking and removing its fuzzy coating: it can cause coughing and even an allergy. Sometimes the skin is cut off completely.

What you need

  • pork in one large piece (leg, loin or neck) — 1 kg;
  • olive oil — 8 tbsp;
  • onion — 1;
  • carrot — 1;
  • celery stalk — 1;
  • garlic — 4–5 cloves;
  • stock — 500 ml;
  • Dijon mustard — 2 tbsp;
  • honey — 2 tbsp;
  • balsamic vinegar — 2 tbsp;
  • ground coriander — 1 tsp;
  • bay leaves — 2;
  • salt and pepper — to taste;
  • quinces — 3 large.

How to make it

1. Prepare the meat. Heat the oven to 200 °C. Rinse the meat and pat it dry with paper towels. If the piece is uneven, tie it with kitchen string to give it shape. Season with salt and pepper all over.

2. Brown the meat. In a large heavy-based pot, heat the oil and brown the meat on all sides.

The pork is browned on all sidesPhoto: Iryna Chornii / European Cuisine with Iryna Chornii
The pork is browned on all sides

3. Chop the vegetables. Peel the onion, carrot, celery and garlic and cut them into large pieces.

Chopped vegetables and quincesPhoto: Iryna Chornii / European Cuisine with Iryna Chornii
Chopped vegetables and quinces

4. Fry the vegetables. Move the meat to a plate and fry the vegetables in the pot until golden. Return the meat to the pot.

The vegetables are fried in the same potPhoto: Iryna Chornii / European Cuisine with Iryna Chornii
The vegetables are fried in the same pot

5. Add the sauce and roast. Add the honey, vinegar, mustard, coriander, bay leaves and stock. Cover the pot, put it in the hot oven and roast for 45–60 minutes.

The sauce goes in with the meat and vegetablesPhoto: Iryna Chornii / European Cuisine with Iryna Chornii
The sauce goes in with the meat and vegetables

6. Prepare the quince. Meanwhile, wash the quinces, remove the cores and cut into large pieces.

The quinces are cut and coredPhoto: Iryna Chornii / European Cuisine with Iryna Chornii
The quinces are cut and cored
Quince cut into large piecesPhoto: Iryna Chornii / European Cuisine with Iryna Chornii
Quince cut into large pieces

7. Roast with the quince. Add the quince to the pork and roast for another 30–40 minutes.

8. Thicken the sauce. Move the cooked meat to a plate and cover with foil. If the sauce with the vegetables and quince is thin, simmer it uncovered so the liquid evaporates and the sauce thickens.

The sauce with quince and vegetables is reducedPhoto: Iryna Chornii / European Cuisine with Iryna Chornii
The sauce with quince and vegetables is reduced

9. Serve. Slice the pork thinly, arrange it in a deep dish and pour the sauce with the vegetables and quince around it.

Thinly sliced pork with the saucePhoto: Iryna Chornii / European Cuisine with Iryna Chornii
Thinly sliced pork with the sauce

Pork with quince goes best with braised red cabbage and boiled potatoes. Some of the quince can be replaced with apples or prunes.

As a reminder, at the start of October we fried breaded pork chops like in grandma’s kitchen.

Nota bene

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