Braised Pork Loin with Port and Dried Plums

This is a beautiful-looking dish, but like Chef John's Shrimp and Grits, it has all the right ingredients and yet it turned out only so-so.  I couldn't taste either the port wine or the herbs and although fruit and pork are a match made in Heaven, the fruit didn't add much to this dish.  Good but not great.

8 servings

7 calculated points

Mourvedre

Ingredients

• 1 (3 1/4-pound) boneless pork loin roast, trimmed
• 1½ teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon dry mustard
• 1 teaspoon dried sage (not rubbed sage)
• ½ teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 cups sliced onion
• 1 cup finely chopped leek
• 1 cup finely chopped carrot
• ½ cup port or other sweet red wine
• ⅓ cup fat-free, lower-sodium chicken broth
• ⅓ cup water
• 1 cup pitted dried plums (about 20 dried plums)
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 2 tablespoons water

Directions

1. Cut roast in half crosswise. Combine pepper and next 4 ingredients (through thyme). Rub seasoning mixture over surface of roast halves.

2. Heat a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add pork, browning on all sides. Place pork in a 4 1/2-quart electric slow cooker. Add onion, leek, and carrot to Dutch oven; sauté 5 minutes or until vegetables are golden. Stir in wine, broth, and 1/3 cup water, scraping pan to loosen browned bits. Pour wine mixture over pork in slow cooker; add plums and bay leaves. Cover and cook on HIGH for 1 hour. Reduce heat to LOW, and cook for 5 to 6 hours or until pork is tender.

3. Remove pork from slow cooker; reserve cooking liquid in slow cooker. Set pork aside; keep warm. Increase heat to HIGH. Combine cornstarch and 2 tablespoons water; stir well, and add to cooking liquid. Cook, uncovered, 15 minutes or until mixture is thick, stirring frequently. Discard bay leaves. Slice or shred pork, and serve with sauce.