Prune Sauce For Meat Or Game Recipes

Steps:

• Simmer the prunes in the wine over moderate heat, covered, until plump and tender, about 10 minutes. Strain and reserve the red wine.
• Bone and tie the pork fillets. Saute the fillets in the oil until they are a rich golden brown on all sides, 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer fillets to a plate. Add the mirepoix and the bones to the pan and saute to brown lightly, 8 to 10 minutes. (Additional oil may have to be added to keep the mirepoix from burning.)
• Add the wine from the prunes and deglaze the pan. Place the pork fillets on top of the mirepoix (the liquid should come part way up the pork chops), cover, and simmer gently over very low heat or until the fillets are tender when pierced with the tip of a sharp knife, 5 to 8 minutes.
• Place the fillets in an oven pre-heated to 325 and immediately turn off the heat. The meat should be cooked within 10 and 15 minutes. Take care not to overcook the pork. Use tongs to transfer the meat to a heated platter and remove the strings. Arrange three prunes on each fillet, then cover the fillets with foil.
• Pour the rest of the contents of the pan through a fine-mesh strainer, pressing down on the vegetables to extract all the juices. Return the juices to the pan and reduce by half rapidly, stirring and scraping any brown bits that cling to the pan. Add the cream and continue to boil down rapidly until the color becomes a light beige and the mixture is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.
• Whisk in the jelly and continue to cook, whisking, until the jelly is dissolved. Taste and correct seasoning of the sauce. Spoon the sauce over the fillets, sprinkle with minced parsley, and serve.

Steps:

• To brine the pork: Dissolve the salt and brown sugar in 2 cups cold water in a glass or stainless steel bowl large enough to hold the tenderloin. Add the allspice, peppercorns, bay leaves and thyme. Submerge the meat, cover and refrigerate at least 8 hours (overnight is better). Before cooking, remove the tenderloin, pat dry and bring to room temperature. Heat the oven to 400 degrees.
• To make the sauce and roast: Simmer the prunes in the red wine until slightly softened, about 5 minutes. Turn off the heat, stir in the ginger and orange zest, and steep for 10 minutes
• Heat the olive oil in a heavy stainless steel skillet over medium-high heat. Lightly brown the tenderloin, about 3 minutes per side. (Turn off heat and use the same pan to make the sauce.) Transfer the tenderloin to a small roasting pan. Roast uncovered for about 15 minutes, until an instant-read thermometer registers 140 degrees. Let rest for 10 minutes before slicing. (Residual heat will cause the meat to continue to cook a bit while resting.)
• To finish the sauce, melt the butter in the reserved skillet over medium heat. Add shallots and thyme, and season lightly with salt and pepper. Cook for about 5 minutes, until softened, stirring with a wooden spoon. Scrape up any browned bits to enrich the sauce. Add chicken broth, turn up the heat, and simmer 2 minutes. Stir in the prunes and wine, and simmer for another 2 minutes. Add the Madeira if using. Taste and correct the seasoning, then add the potato starch mixture and cook for another minute to thicken. Spoon sauce and prunes over the sliced tenderloin.

Steps:

• Place a deep skillet or casserole that can be covered over medium-high heat, and add oil. Brown meat well on all sides, seasoning with salt and pepper, for 10 minutes; remove with a slotted spoon.
• In same pot over medium-high heat, sauté onion and tomatoes with a large pinch of salt and some pepper. When they soften, about 5 minutes, stir in paprika, cinnamon, and bay leaf. Return meat to pan, and add stock and wine; bring to a boil, then lower heat, cover, and simmer for 30 minutes. If mixture starts to dry, add a little water or stock.
• Remove cinnamon and bay leaf, and stir in sugar and prunes. Simmer until prunes and meat are soft, another 30 to 45 minutes. (Dish can be made in advance to this point; let sit for a few hours, or cover and refrigerate for up to a day before reheating and proceeding.) When meat is very tender, uncover pot and add vinegar; if necessary, raise heat so sauce thickens and becomes glossy. Season to taste with salt and pepper, and serve hot, garnished with parsley.

Steps:

• In a small bowl, pour the wine over the prunes and let soak for at least 1 hour or up to overnight.
• Trim the silver skin off the tenderloins. Cut the tenderloins into rounds about 3/4 inch thick. Season the rounds on both sides with salt and pepper.
• In a sauté pan just large enough to hold the rounds, heat the olive oil over high heat. When it smokes, add the pork rounds and brown, turning once, for about 3 minutes on each side, or until they feel firm to the touch. If they start to get too brown, turn down the heat. Transfer the pork rounds to a warmed platter and set aside in a warm spot. Pour the fat out of the pan.
• Drain the prunes, reserving the wine and prunes separately. Measure out 1/2 cup of the wine. Return the pan to high heat and add the 1/2 cup wine and the prunes. Deglaze the pan, scraping up any brown bits on the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon, then stir in the meat glaze, if using. Boil until the wine is reduced by about half; if you have added the glaze, the sauce will develop a lightly syrupy consistency. Add the cream and boil until reduced to a light sauce consistency. Season with salt and pepper.
• Arrange the pork rounds on warmed plates and spoon the sauce and prunes over the top.

Steps:

• Heat the olive oil in a flame-proof casserole pan and cook the pork, turning occasionally, until it is golden brown all over, about 10 mins. You need plenty of space in the pan, so cook in 2 batches if the meat starts to steam. Remove from the pan to a plate. Tip out any burnt bits, then add the butter and cook the onion for 3-5 mins until softened.
• Stir in the flour, then return the pork and juices to the pan. Pour over the wine and enough stock to cover the meat. Bring to the boil, reduce to a simmer, put the lid on and cook for 45 mins, stirring occasionally. Tip in the prunes, top up with stock or water if the meat isn't covered, and cook 45 mins more, uncovered, until really tender. Serve sprinkled with parsley.