Daube of pork
This Irish main course demonstrates how to elevate an affordable cut of meat. Pork shoulder is marinated overnight with vegetables, herbs, and red wine, then slow-cooked for 3 hours until meltingly tender. The resulting cooking liquid is reduced into a deeply flavoured gravy, perfect for a comforting dinner. The process requires patience but yields a richly satisfying dish for eight people.
Ingredients
- 3 tbsp sunflower oil
- 3kg skinned, boned and rolled pork shoulder
- 350ml beef stock
- 1 bottle full-bodied red wine
- 300ml olive oil
- 4 plum tomatoes halved
- 6 garlic cloves crushed
- 2 carrots sliced
- 4 celery sticks, sliced
- 1 leek trimmed and sliced
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- 1 tsp fennel seeds
- 1/2 bunch mint chopped
- 3 sprigs thyme
- 2 bay leaves
Method
- Mix all the marinade ingredients together in a large casserole dish with a lid. Heat the sunflower oil in a large, heavy frying pan until it is almost smoking. Brown the pork all over until it becomes a dark colour. Transfer the pork into the marinade, then cover and refrigerate for 24 hrs.
- The following day, preheat your oven to 180C/fan 160C/gas 4. Take the pork out of the marinade and set it aside. Put the casserole with the marinade over a high heat and bring it to a boil. Let it boil for 15 mins, removing any foam that appears. Pour in the beef stock and return to a boil, then add the meat back in. Cover the casserole tightly with its lid or foil and place it in the oven to cook for 3 hrs, turning the meat once halfway through.
- Remove the pork from the casserole and keep it warm. Pour the cooking liquid through a fine sieve into a clean saucepan. Bring this liquid to a boil and let it boil to reduce for about 15-20 mins. Taste and adjust the seasoning, then serve the pork with the gravy.
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories886 kcal
Fat58 g
Saturates11 g
Carbs13 g
Sugars13 g
Fibre2 g
Protein80 g
Sodium348 mg
Recipe details
Skill levelMore effort
CategoryMain course
Cuisineirish
